


Bluebell

by aestia



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, M/M, Magic, Mentioned Other K-pop Artist(s), Minor Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Qian Kun, Minor Wong Kun Hang | Hendery/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Slow Burn, sicheng has very conflicting feelings but at least yuta has a cool dragon!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 37,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26657893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aestia/pseuds/aestia
Summary: "Who are you, brave and strong enough to capture and tame the beast of the bastard leader of the rebels?" Sicheng's father said, something akin to respect in his old eyes.The cloaked figure finally lifted their head, and their hood fell off, revealing a pair of eyes that were alight with passion and determination, as well as anger."My name is Nakamoto Yuta, and Iamthe bastard leader of the rebels."⚘When Sicheng's father offers Sicheng's hand in marriage to whoever can bring him the dragon companion of the Evil King, the leader of the vigilantes, no one expects the Evil King himself to appear in front of them.
Relationships: Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Nakamoto Yuta, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 34
Kudos: 130





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This hasn't been betaed, so sorry if there is a part that just is not understandable.

For the first time in what seemed like years, it was not one of Sicheng’s little brothers waking him up. It was sunlight, tickling his eyelids until he was forced to open them. If he were not so glad that there was no body being flung onto him, he might have been worried about what they were doing. Yangyang’s new assistant, Sungchan, seemed to be a chaos enabler.

Sicheng finally pulled himself to a sitting position. He had woken up much earlier than usual, explaining the lack of his brothers dogpiling on him. Dawn had broken across the land, the pinks and oranges streaming through his window, and the light breeze carrying a few purple petals made his thin white curtains flutter. Most days that started with petals, Sicheng had found, tended to be one of surprises all throughout the castle, regardless of whether it was for prankster Yangyang, gentle Kun, or even his father, who lived in both the kingdom of Ejulia and the state of constant stress. 

Peeling off his sleeping shirt and shorts, Sicheng took the neatly folded white blouse and gray trousers that had been left on his dresser and put them on before slipping his arms into a thin jacket. Judging from the silence, most of the castle’s inhabitants were still sleeping. That suited Sicheng perfectly fine. He would not need to maintain as solid an act as usual. 

The hallways were empty, just like Sicheng had expected. The hard soles of his shoes clicked loudly on the tile of the castle floors, and he hoped that no one heard it. He always felt extremely guilty whenever he woke up a member of the family or one of the live-in staff, especially this early in the day, when they all needed as much rest as possible. 

Thankfully, Sicheng made it to the armory without much trouble, where he took a seat on one of the rough wood benches to wait for Ten, a marshal who the royal family was very fond of, and who was favored to become Kun’s spouse if no diplomatic marriages were needed by the time Kun turned 24, a little less than two years. They usually met in the mornings, simply to talk without as many reservations as they would have in public and for Ten to give Sicheng advice on conflicts in court. 

Ten did not show for another few minutes, and when he did, the smile on his face was visible from a mile away, as well as the twinkle in his eyes. His shirt was a muted gray instead of his regular black, something that Sicheng could notice from beneath the dark blue overcoat of a marshal’s uniform. 

“You seem quite excited, marshal. Did something happen?” Sicheng had gotten up to meet Ten halfway, whose smile was as bright as the sun. 

“There was a dragonfly on my windowsill when I woke up! How could I not be excited?” Ten asked like it was the simplest thing in the world, which it was. While Sicheng found the eventful days started with purple petals, Ten found them in the dragonflies. If they had both seen their signs, then the next few days would truly be packed. 

“I wonder what will happen. Perhaps we will finally find that so-called ‘Evil King’ that has been plaguing Father for the past few years.” Sicheng said, half joking and half hopeful. 

“He and his followers have caused us nothing but trouble for years. It would be a miracle if we could finally find him.” Ten sighed, closing his eyes but the smile never leaving his face. 

“How so?” Sicheng’s father never gave him all the details of this ‘Evil King’, and he had never asked Ten much about it. He knew that that group burned down the manor of a former viscount of the Park family, but the bastard had it coming. He also knew of the casualty that had occurred during that fire. 

“Simply by being nuisances. They destroy the property of nobles, steal from their homes, and curse their land. They use the money to give back to the poor, vigilantes of a sort, except they cause more trouble than any other vigilantes I have ever seen. I understand their motives, I really do, but surely there are better ways to do things. If they can curse the land, then they can also negotiate and use their powers to work, or something along those lines.” Ten replied, and Sicheng’s mouth made an ‘o’ in understanding. That did sound like an enormous annoyance. 

“There has only been one casualty, Renjun of the Huang family, and we need to make sure that does not happen again. Losing him took an enormous toll on the castle staff, and surely you know how it affected Guanheng and Xuxi.” Ten slashed at the dummy in front of him, and Sicheng took that as a sign to change the subject. Guanheng had experienced so much grief when Renjun first went missing that Sicheng thought the younger would starve himself to death. 

“But the event could also be the birth of the next Jang child. Do you remember how excited the entire clan is? Duchess Jang is due any day now.” Sicheng reminded him. The Jung clan was one of the largest in the kingdom, but they still would celebrate for months at every new child. Sicheng vaguely recalled Jang Seungyeon, the oldest daughter of the main family branch, talking about her new sibling with stars in her eyes at the last banquet. 

“That truly would be a joyous occasion,” Ten chuckled as he took another swing at the trainer. “Maybe you will receive yet another marriage proposal.” He laughed at his own joke while Sicheng shook his head with a sigh. 

“Please, not another one. I am so sick of them that I think the next time I hear Guanheng say he has an announcement, I will vomit on the spot.” Sicheng said. 

Ten laughed again, stopping his fight with the wooden man to throw his head back. “Not many people can say they have this many proposals. So lucky, to be able to say that you are sick of them.” 

“I am glad Father is letting me have free reign with who I choose, but not a single one of them is suitable for me. They all try far too hard to get on my good side.” Sicheng said. He had always been glad he was born with his parent’s good genes, but sometimes, he wished that they were not so prominent. 

Goodness. How spoiled he was, to be able to complain about being too handsome. 

“One day, you will have to choose one, or His Majesty will do it himself. Remember, he is only giving you this freedom until you turn 23. Perhaps even earlier if something comes up.” Ten replied. 

“But the responsibility of a political marriage will fall onto the first prince, not me.” But if Kun needed to get married to someone else, then both him and Ten would lose the loves of their lives. If that ever happened, Sicheng would gladly give up his privilege of choice to let his brother and friend be happy. 

Ten simply hummed, seemingly having read Sicheng’s mind. Sicheng would not be surprised if he had. They had known each other since Sicheng was a year old, and Ten was a pureblood of high status. He and Yangyang had always been around the castle. It would be absurd if they did not have some sort of telepathy yet. 

“It is rather you wait to be forced into a marriage or you choose now. I know that none of the suitors are to your taste, but I would rather have you have some sort of say in your spouse than none, and I'm sure you feel the same, Sicheng.” Ten said before resuming releasing his anger out on the wooden man. 

“I do. But I do not wish to focus on being tied down today. I have another three years at the most. Shall I get my sword and spar with you?” Judging from Ten’s look, Sicheng had not even needed to ask, and although he was not in the proper clothing to spar with someone of Ten’s level, Sicheng would never deny his friend something he wished for so dearly. 

⚘

Yangyang was the third child and the first and only son of the Liu family, a branch of the Li clan. His status was barely lower than Ten’s, his bloodline barely diluted by a great-great-great grandmother from an upper middle-class family, but almost no one in the castle actually remembered he was not a purebred, and most treated him as if he were from the main Li family. 

Of course, this led to him getting little to no repercussions for his actions, something that Sicheng both loathed and loved at the same time. On the one hand, he would not receive harsh punishment for the numerous antics that he, Guanheng, and occasionally Dejun got up to. On the other hand, he would not receive harsh punishment for the things that he did, no matter what. There were quite a few perks that came from being one of the king’s favorites. 

Yangyang was so free-spirited, he always had been, and with the addition of Sungchan to their little unofficial family, he seemed to care even less about the rules, which Sicheng had not thought possible. Despite being the only son of such an esteemed family, Yangyang had never developed a filter. Sicheng had met his parents and sisters before, and it seemed that they only had their filter in front of the king. Being outspoken seemed to run in the family. 

But even with Yangyang’s lack of manners or ability to hold his tongue, Sicheng had always found the boy extremely endearing. It was a nice change of pace, to have someone who was not afraid to voice their thoughts or to call out anyone when they were making a mistake or doing something that was offensive. It had been thanks to Yangyang, after all, that the royal family had found out about the scandal of the former viscount of the Park family. 

“Why, good morning, your highness, you seem like you are in a good mood.” Yangyang said from behind Sicheng, gaining the prince’s attention. Sicheng turned around to see a grin on Yangyang’s face, and a smaller smile on Sungchan’s, as if he were trying to hide his happiness. 

“I am. You as well. Has something happened?” Sicheng asked. He knew that whenever Yangyang had this specific smile, there would be something for the servants to clean up later, and apologies to issue to offended noblemen. Yet Sicheng would never stifle Yangyang’s free spirit. 

“I just had a brilliant idea, and me and Sungchan are on our way to begin preparations. Would you like to help us?” Sicheng shook his head. Of course, he would like to, but for the second prince of the kingdom to take part in whatever Yangyang had planned would surely result in a long lecture from his father and many more apologies to issue than if it was solely Yangyang doing it. 

“Well, then, I shall see you around, your highness. In case I do not see you again, have a lovely day!” Yangyang bowed before walking briskly past Sicheng with Sungchan on his heels, turning into the kitchens. Sicheng called out a ‘you as well’, but the two had already disappeared. Shaking his head with a fond sigh, Sicheng hoped that lunch would be edible, but he was glad that Yangyang and Sungchan were enjoying themselves in such a strict environment as this. 

Sicheng continued down the hallways that connected the armory and training grounds to the courtyard. He needed to ask Guanheng a question about this Evil King. He had never realized how out of the loop he was when it came to that entity, and if he and his followers had been causing that much trouble for Ten, Sicheng figured that he should learn a little more so that he could help with whatever he could.

Guanheng was the first son of the Huang family, and Xuxi, Dejun’s attendant, his cousin. The Huang family had lived in the castle for centuries, sometimes servants or attendants to the royal family. Guanheng was Sicheng’s attendant only during public outings or banquets, Sicheng having given him practically free reign. Guanheng still helped with whatever Sicheng asked him too, and delivered news and marriage proposals when they came up, but the two were not nearly as close as Chenle and Jisung, Chenle’s attendant. 

Typically, Sicheng could find Guanheng in the courtyard, hiding under the weeping wisteria, so old that its leaves were curtains, and laughing to his heart’s content with Dejun. It was adorable, to see Sicheng’s little brother and attendant getting along so well, and sometimes Sicheng wished he could do more for them than let them meet for a few hours every day. There had been times when Sicheng had wanted to switch attendants with his little brother, but every time he asked his father about it, he was shot down, the king saying that having Guanheng and Dejun so close would only end in disaster and scandal. As if Chenle and Jisung did not have the same relationship, if not stronger. Perhaps it was because Chenle was the youngest that his father could let it slide. 

Sicheng emerged into the courtyard, the brightness of the sun hurting his eyes for a few seconds before they adjusted, and walked immediately to the weeping wisteria. Guanheng and Dejun’s voices were audible from outside the long layer of purple leaves, and Sicheng stopped right outside them. 

“Guanheng, Dejun, is it alright if I come in?” He asked, and there was a minuscule moment of silence before Dejun called out ‘go ahead’. 

Sicheng pushed the leaves to the side and stepped into the shade underneath the tree. Guanheng and Dejun were sprawled out on a blanket with Dahlia, an orphaned fawn that the castle had taken in, sleeping between them. The pair fixed Sicheng with curious eyes. 

“Your highness, what brings you here?” Guanheng asked, sitting up straight, and Dejun followed suit. 

“I realized that I have been kept in the dark regarding the Evil King, and I was hoping that you could tell me a little more concerning him and his followers than the fact that they destroy property and distribute stolen wealth.” Sicheng said.

“I am actually quite curious as well, Guanheng. Maybe you could tell us both?” Dejun asked with a slight tilt of his head, and Guanheng’s eyes lit up as he finally understood what was being asked of him. 

“Of course! Sit down, Prince Sicheng.” Sicheng followed Guanheng’s instruction, and Guanheng started. 

“So, both of you know that they destroy property and curse land, that is basic knowledge for everyone living in Ejulia. The Evil King and his followers call themselves ‘Neo’. It is an ancient language meaning ‘new’.” Guanheng looked around hesitantly before leaning closer to the princes and continuing in a quiet voice. 

“Renjun was actually doing quite a lot of research on them before the fire at Park manor, when he… disappeared,” Guanheng zoned out for a moment before continuing his sentence, “And he shared many of his findings with me and Xuxi. According to witness accounts, the one we call the Evil King is actually not a king. Their leadership is like a council without a king to command them. Every decision they make is made as a whole. The one we call the Evil King is simply a magic user. They all are, but the Evil King is the most powerful.”

“Magic? I thought that only existed in bedtime stories.” Dejun breathed with wide eyes, and Guanheng nodded.

“Magic does exist. That is how they curse the land. But it is not a curse for permanent infertility. It only makes the land infertile for three years, long enough for its value to drop low enough to be bought by peasants or those of the lower class. And all of the nobles that Neo has attacked have cheated, stolen, assaulted innocent people, or abused their power. They have never once attacked one who gained their power with their own hands or was born into it. Like the former Park viscount. We are all aware of his scandal thanks to Yangyang, but other lords or ladies who have remained unpunished by the law are punished by Neo.” Guanheng finished, and Sicheng crinkled his eyebrows. 

“If they do not hurt anyone who is innocent, then what happened to Renjun? If I am not mistaken, he disappeared in the fire at the Park manor. Surely he has not done anything to deserve that.” Sicheng said. Renjun had been the best person Sicheng had ever met, so virtuous and pure, always thirsting for knowledge. There was no way that he deserved an ending like that. 

Guanheng bit his lip hesitantly before answering. “I am not sure. He… He must have been collateral damage. There was no way that he did anything to deserve that. Perhaps it was due to the fact that he was researching them, I am afraid that I would not know.” Dejun laid a hand on Guanheng’s back to help soothe him, and Guanheng gave the prince a forced and weak smile.

Sicheng’s heart was hammering in his chest at all the things that Guanheng had told him. All he had ever been told was the Evil King was exactly that. Evil. But now he was finding out that he was neither evil nor a king. Just a powerful magic user who wanted the best for Ejulia. Sicheng would rather have the corrupt nobles done with and their land and wealth given to the lower class, he could agree with that. 

But what Ten said still stuck. There was always a better way than destruction and theft. Negotiation was basically the only thing that Sicheng had been taught for the past almost twenty-one years, it was something he excelled in. And if they knew that innocent Renjun had died because of them, then why did they continue to destroy?

“Are they using magic to burn down property then?” Dejun asked, and Guanheng thought for a millisecond before answering. 

“There is both magic and a dragon. It is small, so it would not be noticed from a distance, but I have seen it during the Park manor fire. I think it belongs to the Evil King, but I have not seen it again since then.” Guanheng replied. 

“A dragon? Gods, this is so much more than I thought it was.” Dejun closed his eyes and leaned his head back. 

“Everything is always more than what it looks like. And I am certain that your highnesses already know, but you can not tell anyone this. Perhaps the dragon part is okay, because his majesty has seen it in person before, but everything about their deeds can never leave this tree.” Guanheng’s voice was desperate. It almost hurt Sicheng, knowing that Guanheng did not trust them enough to believe that they would not say anything. He had to do better.

“You know we would never. We know the consequences that it would bring on your entire clan. Lips are sealed.” Dejun put a finger over his lips, and Sicheng nodded in agreement. It did not matter what happened, he would never betray them, and all of his brothers would do the same, even the Li clan held the same sentiment. The royal family, the Li clan, and the Huang clan had been bonded to each other like family ever since Ejulia was founded — commonly known as the Royal Ejulian alliance. There was no way that Sicheng would betray that trust now. Knowing this much information about an enemy and not using it to defend the nobles and the royal family could be turned into treason by the court. 

“Thank you. I do hope I could help, your highness. I was not aware that so much information was being kept from you. Of course, Renjun found this information by researching, but if you interviewed witnesses or people who have benefitted from Neo’s actions, you are sure to get the information you need.” Guanheng said as the bell for noon meal rang, startling Dahlia awake and to her feet, and Sicheng was reminded of Yangyang’s ‘plan’. 

“A notice,” Sicheng said as Dejun stroked the soft fur of Dahlia’s head to calm her. “I saw Yangyang and Sungchan go into the kitchen a little bit ago, so please watch what you eat.” 

“If Yangyang poisons my food, then I will simply haunt him for the rest of his life, and he would never hurt any of the princes. He is a fool, but not quite that stupid yet. Yet.” Guanheng and Dejun snickered in unison at the last ‘yet’, and Sicheng shook his head fondly. It was all jokes, but Sicheng’s chest was warm at the fact that they were all close enough to be able to joke around like that. 

“I am a little afraid that if we let him hang around Sungchan anymore, the small amount of intellect they have will self-destruct.” Dejun chuckled as he stood up. He reached out a hand to both Sicheng and Guanheng, and Sicheng waved him off so that he could use both for Guanheng. There was no way that weak Dejun could handle pulling them both up at the same time. 

Dejun rolled his eyes and yanked on Guanheng’s outstretched hand until he was standing. “Time to eat, I suppose.” He said and Dahlia flicked her ears as she stared at them, her black eyes filled with curiosity. Sicheng scratched the back of her ears, and for less than a millisecond, her eyes almost looked human. It was gone too quickly for it to properly register in his head though, so Sicheng just brushed it off as a trick of the light.

The three and Dahlia made their way to the dining hall, the staff having gotten used to having an animal in there. She was practically domesticated anyway. No one minded seeing her, and most of the staff even liked having her around. She was a pleasure. 

In the dining hall were Kun, Ten, Chenle, Jisung, Yangyang, and Sungchan. Xuxi was probably doing a task for the king, as he was both Dejun’s attendant and an assistant to the stewards of the house. Sicheng was still scared for whatever Yangyang and Sungchan had done, and he voiced his worries immediately. 

“What were you doing earlier?” Sicheng asked, to which Sungchan at least had the decency to look away guiltily. 

“Nothing you need to worry yourself over, your royal highness. Just know that the person who shall suffer deserves it.” Yangyang replied with a less than innocent smile. 

“What have you done, Yangyang?” Kun turned to Yangyang with a suspicious look, and he cowered under the first prince’s carefully constructed glare.

“I have not done anything!” It was such an obvious lie that Sicheng almost cringed at it. Kun did not let up on his stare, and it did not take more than five seconds for Yangyang to crack.

“Alright! I, perhaps, have set up a dye bomb in the carriage of Sungchan’s uncle, Lord Jung Joonyoung. However, he deserves it! Have you not heard the rumors of what he and the Choi baron are doing? They are bastards, through and through, and a simple dye bomb is letting them off easy!” Yangyang defended himself, and Sicheng understood immediately. Jung Joonyoung and Choi Jonghoon were two ogres that had dozens of sexual assault allegations, as well as gambling addictions and violent tendencies. He had forgotten that Joonyoung and Sungchan were related. They were such polar opposites. 

Ten clicked his tongue disappointedly, and Yangyang deflated at his cousin’s reaction. The marshal quickly clarified though. “The dye better be permanent, or else they will not think of it as anything but a minor inconvenience. You need to make it feel as if it is divine punishment, and not a silly, childish prank. I thought I have taught you better.” 

“If it is a food dye you got from the kitchen, then it is not permanent. If you wanted it permanent, it would have done you good to ask Guanheng.” Sicheng said. Guanheng knew everything about coloring agents, especially in the castle storage rooms. 

“I would have, but he and Prince Dejun were under the wisteria, and I would have hated to interrupt, and Sungchan and I were on a tight schedule.” Yangyang looked over at Sungchan for confirmation, which Sungchan gave with a nod. 

“When is Satan leaving for his kingdom?” Ten asked Sungchan, who replied, ‘Tonight, after evening meal’.

“We have plenty of time to make a permanent one, as I have no duties to attend to, and neither does Jisung. We can search for the permanent dye after we eat.” Chenle offered, and Yangyang nodded vigorously, excitement lit like a fire in his eyes. 

“That sounds like a splendid plan, your highness.” They grinned at each other, leaving Sungchan and Jisung to lock eyes with poorly concealed pain. Sicheng would forever pity them for being attendants to some of the worst troublemakers in the palace, and while Sungchan was a chaos enabler, he also ran out of energy too quickly for him to properly be able to keep up with Yangyang. Although it was not like anyone could ever have that much energy, other than Chenle or perhaps Guanheng on a good day. 

“Please do not let yourselves be found. Who knows what would happen if someone saw the fourth prince and the only son of the Liu family setting up a dye bomb in Lord Jung’s carriage.” Kun reminded gently, having given up on trying to stop them. It was all fake anyway. Sicheng knew that Kun wanted the two to suffer just as much as the rest of them, but had to keep up appearances no matter what. 

“Do you have so little trust in me, brother? I would never do that to your reputation.” Chenle said with a cheeky grin, to which Kun sighed with a smile. 

“It was but a reminder. Of course I trust you, Chenle.” Kun said, and that earned him an even wider smile from the youngest.

“Yangyang, remember all the tips I taught you to make it even worse.” Ten told Yangyang. 

Yangyang gave his cousin a thumbs up. “I could never forget anything you taught me.” 

“Did you not teach him how to be respectful?” Kun asked Ten, who snickered behind his hand, his eyes crinkling up into half-moons from his smile.

“I did, but I also taught him to respect only those who deserve it. I think everyone at this table can agree with me when I say that the men that Yangyang has in mind do not deserve respect, not anymore, maybe not even before.” Ten replied. Jisung, Sungchan, and Guanheng murmured agreements. Sicheng, Dejun, and Chenle needed to make their nods minuscule, just in case anyone was listening and watching — there usually was. Yangyang had no reservations voicing his support though. 

Sicheng reached under the table to give Dahlia the rest of his bread roll while wondering if Neo would exact judgement on Jung and Choi. Guanheng had said that they attacked only those who did not deserve their power, and the two barons certainly fit into that category. 

His opinion on Neo was so scattered. He approved of the motives but wished they would not destroy, but here he was, almost hoping they would destroy everything Jung and Choi had worked for and give their victims justice. Sicheng had even been grateful for their actions towards the former Lord Park. But he could not forgive the havok they had caused when Renjun passed away in a fire started by them. They were in a gray area, vigilantes who caused his father and Ten an immense amount of trouble but ultimately had the kingdom’s best interests in mind. Sicheng would have liked to meet with them sometime if it were not for the castle’s general dislike for their actions, and perhaps ask why they chose to keep destroying when the royal family was more than reasonable. 

The more childish side of Sicheng simply wanted to see the dragon that Guanheng had been talking about and see the magic that Neo possessed. Who knew that the fantasy stories from his childhood held root in real life? 

Dahlia nudged Sicheng’s hand with her nose, snapping him out of his thoughts and back into the conversation. Everyone’s eyes were on him, and Sicheng belatedly realized that he had been asked a question. 

“Ah, my apologies, could you maybe repeat what you said?” Sicheng pressed his lips together in embarrassment. He let a vigilante group distract him so much that he could not even focus on a conversation. Disgraceful.

“How are you feeling about going to the Shin manor tomorrow? This is the first time in quite a while that you are travelling to another clan’s dwelling.” Ten asked, head tilted with mild concern. “Are you alright?” 

Sicheng had not left the castle in about a year for any diplomatic reasons, but tomorrow, he would be leaving for the Shin manor for a month to speak to them about the rumors of their irresponsible spending habits. “I am a little nervous, as I am not familiar with the Shin clan, but it will be alright. I will simply improvise for anything I do not know.” Sicheng shrugged. 

“Well, could his highness not tell you about them?” Ten looked at Kun expectantly, and Kun sighed. 

“The head stewardess, Naeun of the Son family, she favors manners above everything else, so you should be able to get by acting how you usually do. Now, as for the heads of household, Wonho and Jimin. Wonho is kind, he will treat you well for your stay and will take care of anything you need, as well as help you around the house. Jimin, however, is extremely two-faced, and you will be able to tell that very clearly as soon as you run into her. Be extremely careful around her. She will use even the most microscopic of things to make herself the victim, and you do not want to deal with her theatrics.” Kun said, and Sicheng nodded as he took in the information. If the irresponsible spending habits were to belong to anyone, Sicheng assumed that it would be Shin Jimin. 

“So, she is a hag.” Ten said bluntly, to which Kun swatted at the marshal’s shoulder, scandalized. “What? I am correct, am I not?” 

“You can not just say that out loud, what if someone had heard you speaking nonsense about her? Her personality is horrible, but her status is high. She could make your life a living hell if she truly wanted to.” Kun hissed, but Ten just shrugged carelessly. 

“She cannot touch me. I am higher in status than her, and I have the protection of both the royal family and the Huang clan. I am not frightened of some woman who looks like a chihuahua.” Ten replied, folding his arms as he stared Kun down. “I appreciate the concern, your highness, but I assure you, I can protect myself from a woman who is not even capable of running a single manor by herself.” Yangyang giggled behind his hand at Ten’s words, and Sicheng needed to hold in a snicker of his own. Leave it to Ten to insult someone’s weak points so shamelessly. 

Kun shook his head exasperatedly, but Sicheng could see the way that his hand slipped under the table at the same time as Ten’s. It was not a surprise. Sicheng knew that all of his brothers had a love that was mutual and unconditional, and he knew that Kun especially would never have even the tiniest amount of disappointment or annoyance with Ten, or any of their little family.

It was late evening when Sicheng heard an explosion and yelling coming from outside, and he knew exactly what had happened. Dahlia jumped at the noise, and her hooves slammed against the floor. As Sicheng knelt down and stroked her back and snout, he struggled to hold in a laugh. He could just imagine the pair’s faces as they realized what had happened. They deserved it.

⚘

Sicheng woke up exactly at sunrise thanks to knocking at his door. After pulling the sheets over his head to protect the visitor from his bed head yet leaving a tiny space for him to peek out, he groggily called out “Come in”, knowing that it would be Guanheng. 

The other boy was already fully dressed in his formal clothes, red and blue reminiscent of the Huang family crest. There were dark circles under his eyes, most likely having stayed up all night to finalize plans for their visit. Guanheng padded over to Sicheng’s bedside and tugged at the blanket, not strong enough to pull it off of Sicheng yet enough to force him to use energy to hold it on, so as to not lose any warmth. 

“Your highness, you must wake up now if you wish to arrive at the Shin manor on time.” Guanheng said, now shaking Sicheng’s shoulders lightly, making Sicheng groan and turn onto his stomach. He stayed there for another minute before pushing himself up, shivering at the cold morning air. The sun had not fully woken up either, its rays shining weakly over the horizon. 

“Are you awake now?” Guanheng walked over to the bed, a pile of clothes in his arms. Sicheng blinked the sleep away and nodded as he crawled out of bed and shed his clothes. Guanheng helped him get dressed in his formal clothes in silence, concentrating on the intricate process of putting on the numerous garments that made up Sicheng’s blue and gold outfit. 

Despite all the little buttons and ribbons, Guanheng’s skilled hands were able to get everything on fairly quickly, and the two made their way to where they were expected to leave from. After they left Sicheng’s quarters, a servant came to take Sicheng’s trunk, but Sicheng didn’t pay them much mind.

The horses and the carriage were already at the front gate, ready for departure, but Sicheng knew that they weren’t allowed to leave without the king’s blessing, so he chatted amicably with the coachman about their route and estimated time of arrival, became familiar with the guards that been assigned to protect the carriage, as well as snuck the horses a few treats that he had taken from the kitchens. Dejun and Xuxi were the first of Sicheng’s brothers to arrive, both clad in their respective family colors. 

“Good morning, your highness. I’m praying for your safe journey.” Xuxi said, bowing at a perfect ninety degrees, and Dejun hid a smile behind the collar of his vest. 

“I thought that you were not religious, Xuxi.” He said quietly, his eyes glimmering with excitement and playfulness. 

Xuxi flicked the prince’s shoulder just lightly enough so that it wouldn’t cause alarm to any guard that was watching them. “I can still wish him safe travels.” 

“You can use different wording.” Guanheng said, joining in teasing his cousin with Dejun while Xuxi sighed and licked his lips. 

“It does not matter. I know what he meant.” Sicheng put an end to it quickly. “Thank you, Xuxi. I’ll certainly try my best to stay safe.”

Kun, his attendant, Wenhan, and Ten were the next to come out. The Li clan prided itself on its beautiful blue and white family crest, and seeing the vibrant shade of blue in his uniform always was a pleasure to Sicheng’s eyes. It truly was a stunning color, one that the artists of the clan spent months mixing and turning into dyes. 

After them came Yangyang, Sungchan, Chenle, and Jisung, meaning that Sicheng only had to wait a little longer for his father to come before he could begin the journey. They formed a little group between all of them, and Kun, being himself, immediately started worrying.

“You are absolutely certain that you have everything you need for the whole month? Remember, the forest around the manor is not safe, don’t go out there, under any circumstances, especially at night. There are dangerous animals.” Kun said, and Sicheng smiled gratefully at his older brother. 

“I will be alright, Kun. I am more than capable of taking care of myself, and I also have Guanheng. You need not worry so much.” Sicheng reassured Kun, who let out a tired sigh. 

“Now, now, your highness, telling Prince Kun to not worry about you is like telling Yangyang to behave. It just is not possible for either of them.” Ten poked Kun’s shoulder playfully, earning him another sigh. It seemed like Kun’s favorite thing to do was sigh. 

“I am perfectly capable of behaving, I have no clue what you are talking about, dearest cousin.” Yangyang’s voice was dripping with heavy sarcasm, something that elicited a laugh from everyone in their little circle except for Wenhan, serious as always. 

“But Ten is correct, I will always worry about you, Sicheng, especially when you are going to such a potentially hostile household.” Kun rubbed his temples with his fingers. 

Sicheng placed a hand on Kun’s shoulder in reassurance. “I swear to you, Kun, I will be perfectly fine. Nothing will happen to me.” 

“If you say so.” Kun gave up finally just as the door to the castle opened, and as if on instinct, the princes were bowing and everyone else was on their knees, all staring at the ground until they received permission to look up. 

Sicheng’s father was quite far on in life, and he had begun having trouble walking, and perhaps wouldn’t even have been able to make it down the stairs with the assistance of Tingyan, his attendant. 

“Please, all of you, do be at ease.” Sicheng’s father said, waving a hand at the group as Sicheng raised his head. 

“Good morning, father.” Kun said as he took the hand that the king was holding out to him. He, alongside Tingyan, helped steady the king as he made it to the ground. 

“Good morning, my son. I trust that all preparations have been taken care of, correct?” Kun nodded, and the king turned from his eldest son to Sicheng. 

“Sicheng,” The king walked over to Sicheng, who hoped that he was doing a good job of hiding the fact that he was on the thin line between fear and affection. Sicheng, Dejun, and Chenle had been born after their father had become too busy to become involved in their upbringing, creating a sort of rift between them and the king. 

“Father.” Sicheng gave a slight bow with his head only before the king was wrapping his arms around Sicheng's neck in an embrace. 

“Do stay safe. Both you and Huang need to come back to the palace in a single piece, and that is a royal order.” The king said, something along the lines of a joke, and Sicheng smiled softly at the old man. 

“As you command, your majesty.” Sicheng replied before finally hugging his father back and burying his head in the furs of the king’s cape. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i forced myself to post this before the depression drought hits so that the draft wouldn't get deleted. don't expect an update too soon. but thank you for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuta was not a pessimist in the least, and he had utmost faith in his team. 
> 
> He didn’t even know why he had started worrying. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> descriptions of fires, explosives/explosions, burns, as well as jumping out a window at the end of the chapter.

The day was insanely tedious. That was what Yuta thought anyway. Nothing had happened for what seemed like years, despite him knowing that the last time they had done anything as Neo had been just over two months ago. Still, that was quite a long time for Yuta to be sitting around, idle in the cave that Donghyuck and Jaemin had named ‘Neo City’. He was used to being out in the field, whether it be for destroying the property of those who did not deserve it or distributing the wealth that they did not earn with their own two hands. 

There was something going on, another plan that Team 3 had started planning, but Yuta had been much too preoccupied with Bluebell’s movements to pay attention to what Taeil and Doyoung were saying, much less the rest of Neo. He loved them, he truly did, but gods could they talk up a storm. If he had been paying attention, surely he would’ve gone mad. 

“Yuta! Are you listening to the conversation, or do you wish for me to kick you and Bluebell out of here?” Taeyong snapped, making Bluebell jump around and hiss at him, angry that he had yelled at them. Yuta lay a hand on his dragon’s head as he made eye contact with an annoyed Taeyong.

“I _am_ listening, just not properly registering the information as of this moment. I know that Jeno or Shotaro will tell me everything later, after all. Why should I waste my time now?” Yuta replied, making Taeyong turn back to the table in the center of the room with a sigh. 

“ _Then start registering the information._ ” Yuta could practically hear Taeyong’s teeth grinding together in irritation. “Team 3 received an anonymous tip that Jimin of the Shin family has been engaging in some suspicious activities as well as abusing her household staff and members, and we will need you to instruct Dahlia to follow her as we look into it.” Taeyong said, his back still to Yuta as he poured over the papers that were in front of him. 

“You _are_ aware that there is no way that Dahlia can travel to the Shin manor and back to the castle every day for an entire month without being noticed by anyone? She practically lives in Prince Chenle’s chambers, if no one else, he will notice and alert the entire castle.” Yuta scoffed. None of the castle staff would ever let the fawn go with Sicheng to the Shin manor, and he certainly didn’t want his sweet Dahlia in the vicinity when it came time for Neo to burn the Shin manor to hell. Of course, he also didn’t want the prince there either, but he couldn’t help that. 

“Then take Jungwoo and go to the forest around there. I’m sure you’ll be able to put another animal into existence, and no one would be the wiser.” Taeil suggested helpfully, and Yuta grinned at their oldest. 

“Listen. This is what we call a good idea, Taeyong. You should really start using that singular brain cell of yours before it rots.” Yuta quipped, wanting to cause problems on purpose. It was always so fun, annoying Taeyong. And even when it wasn’t fun, Yuta knew that Taeyong bottled up his emotions too much. If Yuta’s natural talent of being a nuisance could help their unofficial leader release some anger, then he would gladly take the glares. 

Taeyong snarled at him, exactly the reaction Yuta had wanted. “Silence yourself before I sew your lips shut. You speak as if you have any more intellect than I do. I’m sure you know this already, but you don’t.” Johnny raised a hand to Taeyong’s shoulder to calm him down, and Taeyong looked at him with a gentle smile after taking a deep breath. 

“Please, no fighting right now.” Jaehyun shot Yuta a glare, but there was no real menace in it. “Still, I am a tad concerned about the second prince, Prince Sicheng. If all goes according to plan, will he and his attendant not still be visiting the Shin manor when we strike?” He asked, and Doyoung nodded in agreement. 

“I will go pay Huang a visit and see what he can do. I’m due for one soon anyway. He may be able to get the prince out on that on the night we attack.” Doyoung said, and Bluebell’s ears perked up, like a dog at the mention of food. Doyoung gave the blue dragon a soft smile. “That’s right. I bet you are quite sick of being stuck in such a cramped place, aren’t you, lovely?” 

Bluebell was something that Neo had aptly named a ‘soul companion’. Yuta had separated it from himself almost a decade ago to make a companion for himself, and Bluebell had been his closest friend since then. But of course, being separated from Yuta’s main soul, the dragon had developed a personality of his own, and now, Bluebell had turned into practically a puppy that could breathe fire and fly. He was about the same size as one anyway, just barely above Yuta’s knee. 

Dahlia was the same, a soul companion. She was also a small section of Yuta’s soul, but when Yuta first created her, Doyoung had had the brilliant idea to put her in the castle, a spy of sorts, since Yuta could see through her or Bluebell’s eyes whenever he wanted to. Of course, everyone had agreed with it, even Yuta himself after a little bit, and part of Yuta’s soul had left them. 

“So, while Doyoung asks Huang to try to evacuate the prince and his attendant when we attack and Jungwoo and Yuta stalk the Lady Shin for evidence of her illegal and immoral activities, the rest of us will begin preparations. Our attack will be planned for the end of the month if we find evidence to back up the rumors, but final details will be released by the end of the week. Any questions?” No one replied to Taeyong, so he gathered the papers in front of him before sighing out a ‘dismissed’. 

Yuta stayed in the meeting room after everyone left, still lounging on the rock that he had claimed as his own when he and Taeil first found the cave. Even Bluebell had abandoned him in favor of Doyoung, who held the promise of getting out of the dark and cold cave system. As Yuta flipped a coin that he had swiped from the last mission between his fingers, he wondered if everything would go well. 

But he quickly ejected that train of thought from his head. If they did the same thing that they always did, then it would all go perfectly. No casualties, and help for those who had suffered. That was their mission, and they had been doing it pretty damn well. Yuta was not a pessimist in the least, and he had utmost faith in his team. 

He didn’t even know why he had started worrying. 

⚘

Neo was split into three groups between the twelve of them and their unofficial member. There was Team 1, the front fighters’ unit made of Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta, Jaehyun, and Jeno. They were not only the strongest in physical terms, but in offensive magic as well. Team 2 — Mark, Donghyuck, Jaemin, and Shotaro — dealt mostly with relations, but they helped with any fighting that happened, despite the fact that there was almost no actual fighting. Team 3 was Taeil, Doyoung, Jungwoo, and Huang, their member that Taeyong and Doyoung tried so hard to keep hidden — though Yuta genuinely could not care less about Huang as long as he didn’t rat Neo out. Those four made up the reconnaissance and intelligence unit. 

From those three teams, assault squads mixed and matched. Four squads were formed for each mission, each one consisting of a member from Team 1, Team 2, and Team 3. Huang did not join them for any of their missions — Yuta had never seen him before, actually — so the team that was lacking a Team 3 member received the remaining Team 1 fighter. 

Jungwoo’s knowledge from reconnaissance of Ejulia’s land and map spell were helping him and Yuta out a lot at the moment, as they traveled deeper and deeper into the woods around the Shin estate. The moonlight filtered through the forest canopy, yet it was still too dark to be able to see much. Jungwoo was unaffected by the lack of light, since Team 3 was used to traveling in the pitch black darkness, but Yuta was both blind and freezing. It was early April, and Yuta, in his glorious stupidity, had forgone his winter cloak because he thought he would be able to manage without it. Lord, the one time that Jaehyun was right…

Jungwoo finally stopped walking after what seemed like hours, and Yuta lamented the loss of activity that had been the only thing helping to keep him warm. Yes, he had a single sleeve and a glove on the other arm, but that certainly wasn’t enough. Team 1 uniforms were specially made to be thin and easy to move around in, but they were certainly not the warmest. 

“This should be a good place, Yuta.” Jungwoo said, and Yuta made some sort of noise of acknowledgement as he got ready to quite literally rip out another part of his soul. It would be easy to absorb back into himself, but the process of taking it out still hurt, and the feeling of pain made Yuta want to vomit. 

A few excruciating minutes full of intense concentration and pure pain later, Yuta had successfully turned another part of his soul into a hedgehog. According to Doyoung’s information, they didn’t have many natural predators in the forest, and even if it was attacked and killed, that part of his soul would simply return to the main body, and the corpse would disappear as if it had never been there in the first place. 

“It’s adorable.” Jungwoo cooed as he cradled the small animal in his hands while Yuta collapsed on the ground, enormous drops of sweat running down the sides of his head and neck.

“If this is what it feels like to give birth, then I would like to give all my apologies to Miss Byulyi for ever insulting her mother for being weak.” Yuta laughed to himself. Byulyi had almost beat Yuta’s head into the ground after he had said that, and he certainly understood why. Lady Moon had six children, Taeil included, and Yuta had, once upon a time, poked fun at her for being so frail. He made a mental note to send the whole family an apology gift once the attack on the Shin manor was finished. That was, if they found any incriminating evidence. There was always a small chance that the rumors were wrong, even if they never had been before.

“Shall we leave it in the forest?” Jungwoo leaned down, about to put the hedgehog down but still waiting for Yuta’s permission. When Yuta nodded his head, Jungwoo turned his hands into a ramp for the soul companion to scamper down to the ground. 

“Our work here is complete, I assume.” Yuta said, pushing off the dirt of the forest floor to help himself stand up. He wanted to get back to Neo City as soon as possible so that he could get warm. 

Jungwoo stared at the sky for a few moments before shaking his head. “One more thing. I’d like to do some reconnaissance of my own while we’re here.”

Yuta groaned and wiggled his entire body like a worm. “Why? Taeyong said we shouldn’t put ourselves into any unnecessary danger.” 

“Taeyong is not our official leader, therefore, I do not have to follow his orders.” Jungwoo quipped and stood back up, brushing the dirt off his cloak. 

“Wow, I never thought you would be the one to disobey our dear Taeyongie.” Yuta chuckled as he rubbed his bare shoulder in an attempt to keep it warm. He had been sweating heavily while creating the soul companion, and sweat and the cold never mixed well. 

Jungwoo noticed Yuta’s actions, and with a sigh, he unbuttoned his own cloak and threw it at Yuta. When Yuta looked at the younger, he sighed. “Reconnaissance uniforms are warmer than fighter ones. I will be alright for a little bit. After all, we will be going inside the manor. I’m certain that it’s significantly warmer in there than it is in the forest.” 

Yuta thanked Jungwoo and put the cloak on, revelling in its warmth. It was heavier than Yuta was used to, but even that was still more pleasant than the cold. Jungwoo then used a magical spell to create a map of the grounds, and he studied it for less than five seconds before putting it away and looking in the direction of the manor. 

“It is just past midnight. We have less than an hour to look around before Taeyong begins to call us back. Let us make haste to get a proper look at everything.” Jungwoo ran off before Yuta could poke fun at his word choice, and he was forced to follow Jungwoo through the undergrowth so that he didn’t get lost. 

Jungwoo stopped moving right before the forest stopped covering them, and he put his arm out so abruptly that Yuta ran into it. 

“What?” Yuta hissed quietly, and Jungwoo used his free hand to put a finger up to his lips. He then pointed to the main path, where there was a carriage. Yuta couldn’t see the faces clearly, but he assumed that it was the second prince and his attendant. If they were arriving just now, then most of the manor would be easy to sneak around. Jungwoo seemed to understand this too, because he pointed in the direction of the back entrance, and the two stalked quietly through the cover of the forest and the darkness. 

As they stood at the border of the woods behind the manor, Jungwoo mumbled something while creating an orb of dim light with his hands, and then dissolved it with a spreading motion. 

“You know how this works, right?” Jungwoo whispered, and Yuta nodded. It was Team 3’s unique invisibility spell, one that would wear off as soon as another human being who didn’t have the spell affecting them touched them, but it also provided sound proofing, something that a regular invisibility spell would not have. Yuta usually never had a need for it, but Taeil had told him all about it when he first created the spell.

“Let’s go.” 

They both jumped out of the bushes, making sure to not disturb anything as they made their way to the door. Stopping in front of the closed and locked entrance, Jungwoo made another orb, this one a shimmering pink that he threw at the door. The pair was able to pass through the solid wood after the middle of the door began to shine weakly, and once they were in, Yuta was taken off guard by the business of the household servants. It seemed that the back door was attacked to the kitchen, and the staff members were all running around, screaming orders and carrying dishes and trays. 

Jungwoo and Yuta locked eyes nervously. Yuta didn’t know what Jungwoo was thinking, but he was almost certain that they were thinking the same thing. _How will we get out of here without being touched?_

Jungwoo then pressed his body against Yuta’s. “Back outside.” Jungwoo then cast the phase shifting spell again on the door, and the two stumbled through the small opening that he created. 

Jungwoo was lost in thought for a second before Yuta grabbed his wrist and tugged him in the direction of a large window to their left. Once Jungwoo regained his footing, Yuta pointed to a spot right next to the window. 

“Cast the spell here. There is no one visible in this room, and we should be able to make it to the halls from here.” Jungwoo nodded at Yuta’s instructions, then spread the magic on the wall before slipping through it, Yuta right behind him. 

The room was empty, just like what Yuta had seen through the window, and the doors into the hallway were open just enough for the pair to slide through. The hallways were bustling with other servants, all of them most likely completing last minute preparations for the prince’s arrival. Jungwoo cast a map spell again, and Yuta asked, “Where to next, Jungwoo?”

“The Lady Shin’s quarters.” Jungwoo said. Yuta’s eyes travelled the map to try and find where her quarters would be located, but couldn’t find a suitable place. 

“Here.” Jungwoo pointed to a random room that didn’t seem to have anything off about it. 

“How do you know?”

“Years of experience.” Jungwoo shrugged, not once taking his eyes off the translucent light shining from his palm. Yuta didn’t understand how Jungwoo, just by experience, could identify a room, but he didn’t want to question his guide. “We’re here.” He gestured to a pair of dots that had suddenly appeared on the map, and then, without delay, the both of them were running, following the path that was highlighted in green. 

They passed the front entrance to the manor on the way, and Yuta caught a glimpse of the welcoming party for the prince. He didn’t recognize most of the Shin family staff, but he knew Jimin and Wonho’s faces well, as well as Prince Sicheng and Guanheng of the Huang family from the eyes of Dahlia, although the former of the two stuck out a lot to Yuta. Jungwoo moved too fast for Yuta to be able to listen to their conversation though, and in a little bit, they were in the quarters of Lady Jimin Shin. 

“Now, what exactly are we looking for?” Yuta asked, standing to the side of the door awkwardly as Jungwoo inspected every inch of the room. 

“Nothing specific. Simply looking around to find anything that looks suspicious— oh?” Jungwoo had been running his fingers along the wall but stopped abruptly. 

“What is it?” Yuta moved away from the threshold to where Jungwoo was standing. The younger had started feeling around the same spot until he made an ‘aha’ noise, and pulled at a notch that Yuta would never have been able to see, even in the daytime. 

The notch opened a small door, one that would be used for a cabinet, and behind it was a hollow compartment with nothing in it but a notebook. Yuta and Jungwoo made eye contact for less than a second before Yuta was snatching the book out of its hiding place and Jungwoo was reciting the spell that would make a perfect copy of it. When a second book appeared in Jungwoo’s free hand, Yuta placed the original in its hiding spot hastily and the two of them bolted out of the room, barely paying attention to people that they could run into and who could make the invisibility spell lose its functionality. 

They didn’t stop running until they were in the closest town, where Jungwoo cancelled the spell and whooped, holding the book high above his head, and Yuta grinned beside him. They hadn’t read the book’s contents yet, but he had a good feeling that they would get the evidence they needed from its pages. 

⚘

Taeyong’s eyebrows were furrowed and his foot was tapping on the stone floor as Jungwoo and Yuta sat across from him, both wordlessly staring at their own boots. As soon as the pair had gotten home with the book in hand, Taeyong had demanded they come with him to the meeting cavern, and Yuta had known that they were in trouble. 

It had been silent for the past few minutes, but Taeyong was the first to break the silence. “I’m not upset. I’m not upset.” It was more directed towards himself than it was to Jungwoo and Yuta, and after taking a deep breath, he looked back up at the pair sitting in front of him. “Have you read through the book?” 

It wasn’t the lecture that Yuta had been expecting, but he wouldn’t be the one to look a gift horse in the mouth. “No, not yet. We put priority on reading it at base, so that no passerby would be able to look at its contents.” 

Taeyong hummed and leaned back in his makeshift stone chair. “Is that so? So, shall I call in the rest of Neo so that we can all review its contents together?” Jungwoo and Yuta had nothing to say in argument, so Taeyong’s deep voice echoed throughout the cave, summoning everyone, despite the late hour. 

It didn’t take much longer for everyone to assemble, although Shotaro’s eyes were much more lidded than usual and Jeno was putting all of his weight on Jaemin’s shoulder, practically being carried by the other boy. 

“What’s going on, Taeyong?” Doyoung was the only one brave enough to talk to their leader despite having seen how upset he had been before. 

“Yuta and Jungwoo, even though I told them to come straight home, looked into the Shin manor, and they found this book in the Lady Shin’s quarters. This is for all of you who like to be able to see the unbiased evidence and not only hear about it from my or Team 3’s mouths during mission briefings. Jungwoo?” 

Jungwoo unfolded his arms, revealing the notebook, brown and tattered, and after opening it to the first page, he pushed it to the middle of the table. 

“It’s a diary?” Donghyuck asked, staring intently at the scrawled handwriting. 

“It would appear so. This could give us incriminating evidence, as she would be admitting to any crimes she may have committed herself.” Johnny replied as he flipped through the rest of the pages. 

“But it couldn’t wait for tomorrow morning?” Jaemin said in a joking voice as he helped Jeno get comfortable on the rocks and then used his own cloak to cover him up. 

“Doyoung is going to be gone tomorrow. I would prefer that we get this done before he leaves.” Taeyong clipped, but his eyes softened as he looked at all the younger members of Neo, who, except for Donghyuck and Jaemin, were about to fall asleep. “But, if you want to sleep, that’s alright as well.”

Yuta got out of his makeshift rock seat to give it to Shotaro, and Jungwoo did the same with Mark. The two boys took it gratefully, and Yuta leaned into the table to read what was written on the diary page. 

“Actually,” Taeil said quietly, “this should make it considerably easier.” He was then putting his hands over the book and reciting the copy spell. He kept repeating it until there was a copy for each of the members that were actually awake enough to comprehend what they were reading. 

“Thank you, Taeil.” Johnny said, and Taeil gave him a little bow of the head before taking one of the books and starting to flip through the pages. Yuta did the same, his eyes falling over every single page, careful to not miss a single implication in the wording. 

Everyone was left to their own reading for around ten minutes when Jaehyun spoke up. “Hold on a minute. On January 13 of last year, the Lady Shin implied sending someone to attack Lady Kwon.” Yuta flipped through the book, trying to find the page that Jaehyun was on, and he found it. 

“‘How can someone be so incompetant? I told him to hurt that Mina whore, yet why do I see her unscathed at my house today? I regret ever hiring someone from his status to do work that only a woman can do. I shall do it myself, to hell with making some bastard do my job. She deserves whatever is coming to her.’” Jungwoo read out loud. 

“That is exactly what we need. But don’t stop reading now. Remember, our policy is at least three faults.” Taeyong reminded everyone, and Yuta made a mental note of the date and the page before going back to reading. 

Jungwoo found the next piece. “August 9th, nineteen years ago. ‘Son Chaeyoung. My worthless housekeeper’s daughter. Naeun has not let me see her yet, but I know more than enough about her. Perhaps I can use her as a bargaining chip to make sure that Naeun never brings to light my money habits. Although she is a fool, she would never bring harm to her daughter. Today may be a good day yet.’ And a month later, ‘My plan worked. Naeun has promised that she will never speak of the records as long as she lives. Smart woman. Using her head for once.’” 

“What does that mean?” Jaemin asked, furrowing his eyebrows. 

“Most likely, her money habits involve something illegal, considering that she would kidnap her stewardess’s daughter in order to keep it hidden.” Mark mumbled, still somewhat conscious. Donghyuck cooed at him and complimented him in a baby voice for being able to make sense of things, and Mark just flipped him off. 

“That’s two more faults right there, and with them, our bare minimum has been reached. We will start planning in the morning after Doyoung leaves, but you are more than welcome to continue reading through the records in your own time. But please do not stay up so late that I see you here when I wake up.” Taeyong shut his book and set it in the middle of the table, as did the rest of them, bar Doyoung, Taeil, and Jungwoo. 

“I think I’m gonna stay up a little longer.” Doyoung’s eyes didn’t leave his copy of the diary as he spoke. Taeyong hummed in acknowledgement before leaving the room, Johnny at his side. 

“Jaemin, do you want me to help you bring Jeno back?” Yuta asked, knowing that having to carry an unconscious body all the way to the rooms was incredibly exhausting, but Jaemin shook his head. 

“I learned a levitation spell from one of the books that Huang sent. I want to try it out.” Jaemin replied, a twinkle in his eyes. 

“On Jeno? Right now? Isn’t he sleeping?” Jaehyun snorted, and Jaemin responded by laughing.

“That’s the point, my good sir.” Jaemin said as he turned to Jeno’s sleeping form with an evil grin on his face, and Yuta decided to ignore him from then on. 

“Oh, that reminds me, I want to try using that spell too.” Donghyuck’s glance in Mark’s direction only lasted less than a second, but Mark didn’t let it go on any longer. 

“Absolutely not. I am perfectly capable of walking myself back to the rooms, thank you very much.” Mark got up from his chair instantly, all traces of exhaustion erased from his features, making Taeil snort behind his hand. 

“You are, by far, the most boring person I’ve ever met, Mark.” Mark tilted his head up with an ‘I take that in full stride’, and Donghyuck rolled his eyes. “Shotaro, do at least you want to help me practice my magic?” Donghyuck looked at a barely conscious Shotaro, who was slumped over in his chair. 

“Truthfully, as long as I don’t have to walk, I could not possibly care less about whether you drop me or not.” Shotaro mumbled.

Donghyuck clapped his hands together in glee. “Splendid! You’re the only good person in this entire cave system, did you know that?” 

“It doesn’t matter to me. Do whatever you want, I will sleep through it all anyway.” Shotaro said before shutting his eyes. 

“It’s probably not a good decision to let Donghyuck do what he wants.” Yuta eyed Shotaro somewhat worried for his physical health, but Shotaro didn’t say anything in reply, probably fast asleep already.

“But if they’re both asleep, it puts some sort of pressure on Jaemin and Donghyuck, because if they drop either of them and wake them up, Taeyong will have their heads.” Doyoung said, somehow still paying attention to the conversation despite looking the most focused Yuta had ever seen him on the diary. 

“See? Doyoung knows what my train of thought is.” Jaemin’s hands were hovering over Jeno’s body, about to cast the spell. 

“Levitation _could_ be useful in the future. Perhaps I should learn that spell as well.” Jaehyun mused as he tapped a finger to his chin. 

“It would be a good spell to learn, but please don’t practice it on your sleeping comrades like these two menaces.” Taeil gestured vaguely to Jaemin and Donghyuck, the latter of the two already having gotten Shotaro hovering a few finger lengths above the rock. Jungwoo looked away from the diary for a second to give Donghyuck a nod of approval before going back to his reading. 

“I’m not a menace, I’m just taking advantage of the resources I have at my disposal.” Donghyuck said, although his heart wasn’t as in the argument as it usually would be, his mind solely focused on not dropping Shotaro onto the hard rock floor of their home. 

“I should spot him.” Mark walked closer to Shotaro, putting his arms in between Shotaro’s back and the ground, and Yuta did the same with Jeno. Mark had the right idea. It was better to at least try and catch them in the scenario that Jaemin or Donghyuck’s magic was not strong enough. Yuta didn’t think that anything horrible would happen, but it was better to be safe than sorry. 

“Good night, you all. Sleep well.” Taeil waved at them as Jaemin guided Jeno’s body through the door, and after a chorus of ‘good night’s, Jaemin and Donghyuck were bringing their test subjects farther down the path to the rooms.

“Jaehyun,” Yuta called out before they were out of sight. “You’re not going to sleep?” 

Jaehyun shook his head, taking a seat next to Doyoung. “No, I think I’ll stay up a little longer and help with whatever I can.” Yuta nodded in affirmation and then continued down the walkway. 

⚘

Time passed by quickly during busy times, and that rule applied to Yuta just as it did to the rest of Neo. Before they knew it, it was five days before the next month started, and Yuta was in the forest with Taeil and Shotaro sitting behind him quietly. Yuta’s eyes were training on a spot directly across the clearing from him, where Taeyong, Jaemin, and Doyoung were. Once Jungwoo, Jeno, and Donghyuck’s explosives were ready, Johnny’s squad would signal Taeyong’s, who would signal Yuta’s, and the proper attack would commence. Yuta’s squad’s job for this mission was to evacuate the staff to safety, and although he lamented not being able to actually burn anything to the ground, this job was even more important than the actual destruction. After all, Yuta, Taeyong, and Johnny hadn’t founded Neo so that they could kill people, and no one disagreed with their morals. 

Bluebell was with Johnny’s squad, so Yuta didn’t have to worry about him, and after a quick look through Dahlia’s eyes, he knew that she was with Chenle and Jisung at the moment. The hedgehog had been sent to Androm to check on the state of things in the nearest town. There was not a single thing that Yuta had to worry about. 

So when the flash of a mirror came from where Taeyong was, it wasn’t nervousness that caused his heart rate to speed up, it was pure excitement. Yuta knew somewhere in his head that it most likely was a bad sign if he was excited to destroy someone’s home, but he liked to think that he was fighting for justice. 

Less than a minute after the flash happened, Yuta could see Taeyong moving his squad closer to the side of the house, and Shotaro and Taeil tensed up around Yuta, ready to run into the flames to bring the staff out into fresh air. The first explosion happened a few moments later, and then Yuta’s squad was leaping over the foliage that they had been using to hide and sprinting to the front door. 

Yuta didn’t wait for any instruction from Taeil before smashing the door down with his leg, making the staff that had been standing there in confusion, baffled as they tried to determine where the sound had come from. If Yuta wasn’t wrong, which he usually wasn’t when it came to this, he, Taeil, and Shotaro had less than half a minute to get as many people out before the next explosive went off and set off a chain of bursts. Lords, he hoped that Huang had been able to get Prince Sicheng and Guanheng out in time. Their faces were too handsome to be scarred by flames. 

“Hi,” Taeil said, out of breath but his polite smile still visible even behind his mask. “If you could please follow me, or simply leave the manor, that would be amazing, and as an added plus, your life gets spared. You do not want to stay in here any longer.” 

The servants eyed them suspiciously until another boom resounded throughout the house, and they were running. Taeil and Shotaro guided them to a safe spot as Yuta went further into the house to look for stragglers. Once he found them, he immediately ordered them to go to the front entrance, and ten times out of ten, they obeyed his glowing blue eyes. Thank the heavens that Doyoung had given him a persuasion spell earlier. 

The chain reaction started, and Yuta realized that he hadn’t found the prince or his attendant yet. _Please, let them already be out of the house,_ Yuta begged whatever higher power was listening as he ran up the stairs. He wasn’t a religious person in the least, but he should at least offer up a prayer during an emergency like this. If the prince was still in the manor and was harmed, the royal family would stop dragging their feet and genuinely hunt Neo down. 

As he made it up the stairs, he ran straight into a teenage girl, her mouth covered with a sleeve and her eyes watery. Yuta had to stop her. “Madam, please, is the prince here?” 

The girl burst into a coughing fit, and Yuta swept her into his arms and practically leapt back down the stairs. At the bottom, a beam fell, and it would’ve crushed them had it not been for Yuta’s use of a shield. The forcefield, because it had been cast so carelessly and quickly, cracked immediately, but it was still enough for Yuta to run out of danger. 

After she recovered from her coughing, she replied. “He is. Lord Guanheng was called out for urgent business, and he was in his quarters when the explosions started. His room is blocked, I need to get help, please help him!”

Yuta cursed under his breath and left the girl outside the front door. “Thank you, madam. Run out the path to my comrades, they will keep you safe.” Yuta didn’t wait to see her evacuate properly before he was turning on his heel and stomping off the ground to get a speed boost as he muttered an enhanced jump spell. How could Huang fail so badly?

Not knowing the map spell would be a struggle, but Yuta knew how to search for human life, and he cast the spell as soon as he was on the staircase again. His eyes scanned the second story frantically, trying to find a body anywhere. Flames had caught on everything imaginable, and the reds and oranges were blocking Yuta’s vision. It was as hot as hell in the manor, but Yuta refused to leave before he found the prince and brought him to safety. 

As if by a miracle, Yuta felt a pang coming from in front of him, and he was lifting off the ground immediately and shooting down the hallway. He stopped in front of a room that was ringing, yet covered by a beam, but without a second thought, his shoulder was being slammed into the wood. His shoulder cried out in pain from the burns and from breaking the beam, but pain was only momentary. It could wait until after the prince was safe. The door came down without a problem after he moved the flaming wood. 

In the middle of the room lay the prince, the one that Yuta had been watching for years through his soul companion’s eyes, and the disgusting part of his mind told him to stare for a little longer, as this would be the only time that he would be able to meet Sicheng in person. It did not last for longer than a millisecond, and Sicheng was in Yuta’s arms before he could think of anything else. 

Turning back to the door to leave, Yuta cursed his timing, because at that exact moment, a beam of wood had decided to fall right in front of the entrance, and he was insanely grateful that Sooyoung had given all of their uniforms masks. It helped in protecting Yuta’s nose from the enormous cloud of smoke and ash that came from the impact. 

“God!” Yuta screamed, his mind working overtime to think of another exit, and his eyes shot to the window. 

A moan rumbled from Sicheng, and Yuta looked down to see the prince staring at him with heavily lidded eyes. “You’re awake?” There was a weak nod. “I’m sorry about this. I’m going out the window, but I promise that you won’t feel a thing.” 

Sicheng didn’t respond, his eyes fluttering shut. Yuta didn’t waste a second before maneuvering around the flaming objects throughout the room to the window. The chair next to it glowed orange and red, but Yuta had gloves for a reason. He grabbed the top of it and sent it through the window. The glass shattered, and once the hole was big enough for the both of them, Yuta did his best to cover all parts of the prince’s body before throwing his body out the window. 

There was a patch of grass nearby that Yuta tried his best to land on, but the levitation spell could’ve been quite useful. It was a shame that Yuta had forgone learning it in favor of sleeping a few extra hours. Thankfully, Yuta was able to land on the dirt without breaking any bones, although there was a sharp pain that shot up his leg, and he knew that Jaemin would need to check over him when they got home. 

Yuta didn’t stop to think about the pain, gathering himself and the prince from the ground and taking off for where Shotaro and Taeil were. Taeyong’s squad was in charge of the second wave of checks, so Yuta didn’t need to go back into the manor and he could spend his time making sure that the prince hadn’t inhaled too much smoke. His skin was already covered in ashes, and if it got into his lungs, then there would be a slight problem. The unconsciousness was already a bad sign. 

But Yuta had to wonder how Guanheng had been the only one called out. Huang had never failed in the two years that he had been with them, especially with something this important. And wasn’t Guanheng not supposed to leave Sicheng’s side during their stay at the Shin manor? How was he the one who had been called to safety?

Shotaro took one look at the unconscious body in Yuta’s arms and abandoned the servant that he was talking to. Yuta picked up the pace, eventually reaching a run, and the pair met halfway. Shotaro was one of the group who had learned the levitation spell, alongside Jaemin, Donghyuck, Taeyong, Johnny, Jungwoo, and Doyoung, and he used it to take Sicheng out of Yuta’s arms. They ran to where Taeil had set up a makeshift temporary shelter. 

Taeil looked away from the mild burn he was treating on someone, and his eyes widened instantly. “Is that the prince? I thought Huang got him out!” He quickly spat out a weak healing spell for the servant and helped Shotaro guide Sicheng’s body onto a blanket. 

“How long has he been unconscious?” Taeil skimmed over Sicheng’s exposed skin with his eyes while slowly peeling off his robes. 

“I don’t know. I think I woke him up a little bit when I picked him up, but it was only for a few seconds.” Taeil hummed in acknowledgement and finally got the robes off. There were a few tiny burns and holes in his clothes where the flames had burned through. 

“I don’t think that there’s anything horrible, but seeing as he isn’t awake, something is wrong.” Taeil mumbled while Yuta watched worriedly. If only he had been a little quicker, he might’ve been able to prevent this. If he hadn’t taken the time to talk to that girl and bring her out, if he hadn’t taken a second off to get over the pain from running his shoulder into a flaming beam, if he hadn’t taken so long to find an alternate exit, if he hadn’t used a chair to break through the window beforehand, maybe Yuta could’ve done a little more to protect the prince. 

“Hey, don’t worry. I’m sure it’s just the smoke. You did well, Yuta.” Taeil reassured, looking at Yuta with kind eyes for a second before turning back to Sicheng’s body, pushing him onto his side, and muttering ‘We might need to do CPR’. 

“What?” Yuta widened his eyes in surprise just as Sicheng began coughing, heaving into the ground as he used his elbows to prop himself up. 

“Guess not.” Taeil said off-handedly, and Shotaro dropped to Sicheng’s side with a jug of water. 

“Your highness, please, you must drink this.” Shotaro whispered gently as Sicheng began to recover from his coughing fit. 

Yuta didn’t want to, but he left Sicheng to Taeil and Shotaro so that he could talk to the girl that he had brought out. Why the hell had Sicheng been in the manor tonight?

He found her sitting on a tree stump somewhere nearby, watching the manor burn down with watery eyes and her soiled outer dress on the ground next to her. 

She took notice of Yuta when he was a few steps away, and her eyes were a little narrower now, yet still with no hostility, which Yuta took as a good sign. “You’re a Neo, are you not?” Yuta nodded, not wanting to lie. “My home is destroyed, and I have nothing apart from my sister. Are you going to take care of us?” 

“We have a policy of distributing the wealth among the staff. You’ll receive enough money to get you and your sister on your feet, rest assured.” The girl let out a bitter laugh. 

“Rest assured… ha,” The girl rolled her eyes. “What’s going to happen to my mother? Is it not her you’re after? What do you plan to do to her?” 

“Your mother will have her crimes released to the public, as well as the evidence that we found, and she will be left to the law enforcers of the aristocracy.” Lady Shin’s daughter… Yuta couldn’t remember anything about her children. “What are you and your sister’s names, madam?”

“My name is Ryujin, and her name is Yuna. You have been fighting the authorities for years, do you think that she will be punished appropriately?” Ryujin leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand after wiping her eyes. 

“Only if you wish for her to be. Her punishment can be altered by whatever witness testimony you and your sister provide.” Yuta explained.

“I see.” Ryujin said quietly. “What do you want from me? I doubt that you walked here solely for the sake of it.” 

“Why was Guanheng not with the prince?” Yuta finally got the chance to ask. He hadn’t wanted to overstep his boundaries by asking about other people when Ryujin had just lost her entire home. 

“Both the prince and Lord Guanheng were summoned for an emergency in the nearest town pertaining to _your_ antics, and Lord Guanheng said that Prince Sicheng need not bother himself with lowly rebels and left by himself. I’m sure he will come running back any moment now. Will that be all?” Ryujin certainly did not look like she wanted to talk to Yuta any more, so Yuta nodded and didn’t stay around any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for the positive feedback on the first chapter, it really means a lot to me. i never even imagined that this would get any type of attention, much less receive good comments, so thank you so much. 
> 
> anyways, happy birthday to some of my favorite people in all of nct, yuta and winwin. the two who caught my attention first and who have retained it even now, a little over two years later. i wish for nothing more than that you get to celebrate many more as happily as you can.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Farewell, your highness. I hope we never meet again in these circumstances.” With that final sentence, he was gone, and Guanheng’s yell was audible from beyond the hill that led up to the Shin estate. Sicheng peeled himself off of the blanket he had been sitting down on, abandoned the jug that the cloaked man had left him, and ran to meet Guanheng’s outstretched arms halfway. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer: even if i use the names of other idols in this fic, their personalities may be different than that in real life, and please do not associate this fic's personas with the real person. this is a work of fiction, and the only things that my characters have in common with their namesakes are their looks and some personality traits. 
> 
> that said, please enjoy chapter 3 of bluebell!

When Sicheng finally gained awareness of his surroundings, it was a tad jarring. The boy who was offering him water was young, maybe not even older than Yangyang, and the man who was standing nearby, observing Sicheng’s state, did not look extremely old, but his eyes were burdened from what seemed like years of battle experience. The both of them had hoods and masks pulled over their nose and mouths, the boy having a simple jacket while the man had a cloak that reached all the way to his ankles. Was this Neo? If it was, Sicheng would be a little disappointed. There were so few of them and there was no dragon, like Guanheng had said there was. 

Guanheng. 

Where was Guanheng now? If he had heard of what had happened at the manor, then he surely would be on his way back from Androm. What about the guards that had come with Sicheng? Where were they? Would they arrest Neo for their crimes, despite how well-meaning they were? 

Come to think of it, how had Sicheng gotten out of the manor? The last thing he could remember was making it to the door of his quarters when the beam had fallen and blasted him backwards, making him hit his head. Who had brought him out? Was it a member of Neo, or one of the guards?

“Your royal highness, I sincerely recommend that you drink as much of this as you can.” The more battle-worn man held out a large jug to Sicheng after instructing the younger one to save his own water. 

Sicheng took the jug and was a little baffled at its warmth. He looked at the man with eyes that he hoped conveyed his confusion, and the man chuckled gently. “It is but warm water. It will help clear some of the smoke from your lungs. You have to know that if we planned to end your life, we would have left you in the manor.” That made sense to Sicheng, so he opened it and began to sip from the opening. The warmth of the drink travelled through his body instantly, and despite the fact that it was nearly May and they were not extremely far from the most enormous fire that Sicheng had ever seen, every bit of warmth was appreciated greatly. 

“Hey,” Sicheng looked up but then saw that the man was talking to his comrade and stared back at the jug in his soot stained hands. “Go check on…” The man did not finish his sentence, instead nodding his head in the direction of another man, this one without a cloak but still wearing the mask and hood that his comrades wore. The younger boy got up immediately and began walking over to the other man.

“Who are you?” Sicheng asked as soon as he was sure that he still had his voice. It was scratchy and hurt the back of his throat, but this was a once in a lifetime chance to speak with Neo. He had been wanting to do it ever since he asked Guanheng about them. 

“I’m sure you already know the answer, your royal highness. But if you need the vocal confirmation, then we are Neo.” The man replied good-naturedly. 

“There are only three of you? I was told that you had a dragon as well.” Sicheng said. 

“There are thirteen of us. The others will come in due time, although I can not guarantee that they will talk to someone of your standing. Our dragon,” The man clicked his tongue, looking at the manor, still blazing like the sun. “he is with our comrades at the moment. He is very wary of strangers, however, so I would not recommend attempting to become close with him. I am positive that you do not wish to be burned any more. You were extremely fortunate, your royal highness, being able to escape with as little injuries as you did. And we were fortunate that you did not perish in the fire. We would never be able to live in our relative peace if that had happened.” 

“Then why did you attack? If you were able to find incriminating evidence for a member of this household, then you would have also known that I would be here.”

“We tried our best to get you out of the manor in time for the attack, but I suppose that the member responsible for getting you and your attendant to safety could not do his job.” The man brought a hand up to his face, turning away from Sicheng while pulling down his mask. Sicheng could hear the deep breath that the man took before he was looking back at Sicheng. 

“My attendant? He was called into Androm due to a tip that Neo had been found operating there. I was summoned as well, but he insisted that I need not trouble myself with people like you.” Sicheng replied, thinking back to the events of the morning. A messenger, out of breath, had arrived at the front entrance, demanding Sicheng and Guanheng and claiming that a member of Neo had been found buying weapons and then tracked back to a vacant home. Guanheng forced Sicheng to stay home while he investigated. Perhaps, could that have been meant to evacuate them?

“So that was what happened. I see. I will tell everyone to not hold our member accountable. He could never have controlled your attendant’s actions. Thank the heavens we were able to take you to safety before you were mortally injured.” The man said, and the boy and their comrade came back to where Sicheng was. 

“Unit 2 just checked in with me. They have detained all the guards until we can leave. Units 3 and 4 have completed their jobs as well.” The new man said, and the one that Sicheng had been conversing with nodded in acknowledgement. 

“And what of Lord Guanheng?” The man with the longest cloak asked. How did they know Guanheng’s name? Oh, what was Sicheng thinking? Of course they knew Guanheng’s name. They had information on everyone, it seemed. 

“He is on his way back, perhaps arriving in five more minutes. Is the prince alright for us to leave?” The man without the cloak asked, tilting his head while looking at Sicheng. His eyes were wide, sparkling with something that Sicheng might have described with amazement. 

“He will be fine as long as he continues to drink water. I know I shouldn’t even be talking to you, but your royal highness, please promise me that you will stay hydrated. You inhaled a great deal of smoke, and you need to flush it out of your system as quickly as possible.” The cloaked man said, and the compassion in his voice matched that of Kun, and even some of the castle staff. Sicheng could never say no to someone who cared that much. 

“Why do you call me ‘your royal highness’? I thought that you did not like the nobility?” Sicheng asked, and the cloaked man began giggling, while the other two coughed. Sicheng could see their struggle to not laugh, even through their masks. “What is so funny?” 

“We do not attack anyone without due reason. We know that you had no say in what position you were born into, and we know that you have not done anything that caused harm to the general populace with the privileges you were given at your birth. So of course we would use your title to address you.” The cloaked man replied as seriously as he could, but the man with one sleeve and one glove did not bother to hide his laughter. In a way, he almost reminded Sicheng of Yangyang and Chenle, laughing at anything they wished to with no reservations. 

“I mean, he,” The boy nudged the cloakless man with his shoulder. “respected you enough to prioritize your safety over his own. He even ran into a burning piece of wood and jumped out of a window for you.” The man slapped the boy’s head, hissing out a ‘be quiet!’

“It was you who saved me from the manor?” Sicheng stared hard at the man, trying his best to take in the few facial features that were uncovered by the hood and the mask. He truly jumped out of a window to save Sicheng? Not only that, he ran into the beam that had knocked Sicheng out? Who was this?

“Yes, your royal highness. I’m glad that you’re alright now.” The man’s voice was much more serious than it had been just moments before, and Sicheng found himself liking the more carefree tone that he had had. 

“Well, then, I owe you thanks, and I apologize for any injuries that you may have sustained by rescuing me.” The little devil in Sicheng’s mind whispered ‘even though it was his fault in the first place that you had been caught in a fire’. Sicheng hushed it immediately. It was not Neo’s fault that Guanheng had chosen to go to Androm by himself. 

“It was my pleasure—”

“Oi!” A new voice boomed from down the pathway to the manor, interrupting the man’s sentence. A group of nine came running down, the guards being held above their heads and bound with glowing cyan restraints. Sicheng was fairly sure he also saw Jimin in that group as well. So Jimin _had_ been the one they were after. 

A dark figure shot ahead of the group and into the one-sleeved man's chest, making him fall to the ground with a laugh. Once it stopped moving, Sicheng’s eyes could make out the silhouette of… a dragon? He was actually able to see it in person? 

“Everything is taken care of. We must go now before Lord Guanheng returns.” A man dressed in the same clothes as the man who had rescued Sicheng said to the cloaked man, who nodded. 

“Then we’ll go.” The cloaked man replied in a rushed voice before turning to Sicheng. “Your royal highness, please don’t tell anyone of your interactions with us. We have eyes everywhere, and we do not wish for information on us to be spread.” Sicheng nodded mindlessly, and the group began to dissipate into small orbs of blue light, one by one. The last one to leave was the man who had saved Sicheng. 

“Farewell, your highness. I hope we never meet again in these circumstances.” With that final sentence, he was gone, and Guanheng’s yell was audible from beyond the hill that led up to the Shin estate. Sicheng peeled himself off of the blanket he had been sitting down on, abandoned the jug that the cloaked man had left him, and ran to meet Guanheng’s outstretched arms halfway. 

⚘

The palace was a complete mess on the day of Sicheng’s return. Or should he say, the night of his return. As soon as Guanheng had put his arms around Sicheng’s neck at the Shin estate, the guards had been freed from their bindings and preparations to return had been rushed. Jimin and Ryujin had returned with them, the former of the two still tied in the restraints that would not disappear. A book had been tucked under the bindings, which Sicheng assumed had the evidence of her crimes that had prompted Neo to attack. 

The horses had been worked at a breakneck pace for a few hours before the palace was within sight, and Guanheng, at Sicheng’s side on his own horse, had never stopped worrying nor apologizing for leaving the prince alone. Sicheng told him numerous times that he need not worry, that he had no means of knowing what was to happen tonight, but Guanheng was not hearing any of it. 

Sicheng dismounted from his horse, immediately taken away from him by a stable boy, and the guards were ushering him into the castle, where he came to see a frantic pair of Kun and Ten. Kun was shouting orders to servants and messengers as he walked to the entrance where Sicheng was, while Ten was dressed in full uniform and surrounded by his own personal squad of soldiers. 

“Sicheng!” Kun’s eyes widened as soon as he laid eyes on his little brother, and he abandoned the servant that he had been instructing in favor of running to Sicheng. Sicheng tried his best to stay steady as his older brother ran into him, crushing him in the tightest hug Sicheng had experienced in a few hours. 

Ten breezed past Sicheng, commanding his soldiers to take Jimin from the guards that had been with Sicheng. Before they seized her upper arms, Ten marched straight up to the woman, easily ripping the book from behind her bindings without a second thought. 

“Take her to a holding cell. I will meet you there later after I deliver this to the chief prosecutors.” Ten barked at the soldiers. They followed his orders, dragging Jimin away by the arms and barely giving the older woman a chance to walk for herself. She made noises of protest, but they were all muffled by the cyan band keeping her mouth shut. Ten did not stop to talk to Sicheng, instead practically running down the hallway without even glancing in the prince’s direction, but Sicheng understood that his job took priority over all else. 

Ryujin watched as her mother was taken away without so much as a tear. Sicheng might have been surprised, had he not been able to become closer with the younger girl and see how much she despised her own mother. He had to say that he felt the same. The lady of the house had been so passive-aggressive during Sicheng’s visit that he almost wanted to say that he was grateful she was receiving punishment, but if he truly admitted that to himself, then it would show how utterly self-centered and sensitive he was. 

“Are you alright? Were you injured at all? Your clothes have holes in them!” Kun checked all over Sicheng’s body frantically. 

“Kun, I am completely fine.” Sicheng did not talk about the smoke in his lungs that the cloaked man had told him about, not wanting to make Kun worry any more than he already was, but Kun still looked at Guanheng for confirmation, as if he did not trust Sicheng enough to take his word for it. Guanheng nodded, and that allowed Kun to relax enough to take his hands off of Sicheng’s shoulders. 

“You are aware that you will have to report to Father, correct? He is already waiting for you.” Kun’s eyes were overflowing with concern, the same type of love that their mother used to give them. 

“I know. It is procedure to report as soon as possible in order to not forget any details. I will go soon. Guanheng?” Sicheng gave Kun a final brief hug before turning back to his attendant, who already seemed like he was dreading being in the presence of the king. 

“But, Kun, how did Ten know to arrest Lady Shin?” Sicheng had to ask. Ten had been filled with determination when they arrived at the palace, and had been so confident when he commanded his men to arrest her. 

“We received a message around an hour ago accusing her and listing the crimes that she had committed, as well as the promise that evidence would arrive at the same time that you would. Ten was instructed to act as if she were guilty until proven innocent.” Kun replied, looking in the direction that Ten had stalked off in. 

“He seemed upset.” Guanheng remarked timidly. 

Kun nodded. “He has not slept for over two days. Anyone would be irritated if they had as little rest as he has had, and then told that they must arrest a noble with no evidence.” 

“Over two days?” Sicheng echoed in disbelief. “What could he be doing all night for two days?”

“I am not sure. I did not wish to make him feel like he needed to tell me, so I did not ask. It would be wise for you two to leave now, before Father begins to get anxious. His health has been worsening during the past month.” Kun said, and Sicheng hummed in acknowledgement. He had been receiving the letters from Chenle, alerting him of their father’s declining health. This incident would be bad for his constitution. 

Kun did not let Sicheng go without giving him one more hug, as well as one for Guanheng, and after that, Sicheng and Guanheng started for the throne room. Sicheng was already worried about what his father’s reaction to this would be. 

Not even a moment after Sicheng finished his report, his father was slamming his hands on the armrests of his throne and standing up, making Tingyan’s eyes widen in concern. 

“They dare attack despite knowing that you were at the manor? I have had enough of their horrible behavior, disgracing the kingdom of Ejulia and nearly injuring my son! That is it! Scribe, record this! As of now, our highest priority is to capture Neo, no matter the cost.” This statement caused a burst of conversation throughout the courtroom, one that would have might have woken up the light sleepers of the castle, despite the sleeping quarters being a few floors above them. 

“Your royal majesty, I understand your anger, I do, but surely we do not need to put Neo as our first priority. As of the moment, it should be trying Lady Shin Jimin with the evidence provided to us, regardless of where it was found. Even after the trial, we must rebuild the Shin manor, as well as prepare for the Mångata Ball.” The heir of the Jeon family, Wonwoo, was one of the kingdom’s most trusted advisors, and for him to protest so openly against something must have meant something, and the king seemed to understand that as well, sitting back into his plush blue velvet throne. 

The Mångata Ball was one of Ejulia’s two annual balls, held every year at the end of summer and the second on the day of the New Year. It was accompanied by Mångata Festival, an occasion in which the subjects of Ejulia would offer tribute to the moon for a successful summer and harvest. It was one of the kingdom’s most cherished traditions, and there were always months of preparation put into planning. 

“Lord Wonwoo is correct, your majesty. We cannot handle pouring all of our resources into a rebel group that will not attack without reason.” Jisoo, the heir of the Hong family and the palace treasurer, reinforced Wonwoo’s claim. 

“Then what do you suggest I do? I cannot let them run free for any longer. Even if their past actions suggest that they do not attack without reason, rebellions are unpredictable, they are flexible. We cannot trust that they will keep the same pattern of attack as before, and if they are still at large at the time of the Mångata Ball, they could attack then and destroy everything.” The king said, and the court murmured amongst themselves for a few moments before Guanheng spoke up. 

“If I may be so pretentious as to offer my opinion, your royal majesty,” Sicheng eyed Guanheng curiously. What could he have to say about the situation, and would the king accept it?

“Speak.” The king instructed, so Guanheng did. 

“During my time studying amongst the common people, I learned that they are driven primarily by rewards. If you offer a good enough prize, then they will do all of your work for you.” Guanheng said. 

The people of the court mumbled words to each other after Guanheng’s words, and the king asked him, “So, what are you suggesting? A monetary reward? That can easily be arranged.” 

“Your royal majesty, I am afraid that simply a monetary reward will not work with the common people. The common people have grown an attachment to Neo, seeing them as their saviors. They will not turn them in for a simple sum of money.” Jeonghan of the Yoon family was a man who had friends all over the kingdom, even all over the world. If anyone were to truly know how the minds of the common people worked, it would be him. 

“What do you suggest, Lord Jeonghan, if a monetary reward is not enough?” The king asked, cocking an eyebrow at the other man. 

“One thing that people crave is power. If you were to grant them access to power, then you could receive anything that you asked for.” Jeonghan replied, and the king hummed to himself. Sicheng and Guanheng met eyes, both a little hesitant to hear how Jeonghan’s suggestion would play out. Would the king offer a noble title to anyone who knew Neo’s base of operations? Yet, at the same time, Sicheng was not fond of the glint that was in Jeonghan’s eyes, as if he was plotting something. 

“Offer them power?” The king mused, a finger reaching up to tap at his shaven chin. “How do you suggest we do that?”

“Perhaps… Ah, no, I could never,” Jeonghan shook his head, cutting his own suggestion off. Sicheng could see the smallest bit of a scheming smile ghost across his face when the king commanded him to finish his sentence. 

“You have four unmarried princes. What better power to acquire than to offer their hand in marriage to whoever is capable of assisting in the capture of Neo?” 

Sicheng’s blood ran cold, and an uproar of both agreements and protests echoed throughout the throne room. All Sicheng could see was the wisteria tree, the loss of freedom, the loss of happiness, the loss of the ability to make the choice of who he wished to marry. He could not see Guanheng, or his father, and he certainly could not see Yoon Jeonghan, the disgusting bastard. 

“Silence!” Tingyan was not a large woman, but her voice was more than loud enough to quiet the men of the court. “His majesty wishes to speak!” It took not more than a moment for the last of conversation to fizzle out like the light of a torch. 

“Lord Yoon Jeonghan,” Sicheng could hardly register the conversation going on. He knew that he should listen, that it was his own future at stake here, but he could not focus, no matter what he tried. “You are suggesting that I force my sons to marry whoever can capture Neo?”

“Your royal majesty said it himself. You wished for the capture of Neo to be top priority but as the ball is so near, you cannot divert manpower. If you offer the hand of a prince, you will receive more assistance in your endeavors than you could ever fathom.” Jeonghan’s silky voice said, and Sicheng felt nauseous. 

“Asking for one man or woman to capture all the members of Neo is asking for the impossible, Lord Jeonghan.” Wonwoo said, which Sicheng agreed with. 

“Then do not make them capture all the members. Prince Sicheng mentioned seeing a dragon, did he not?” Sicheng still was not capable of moving his body, so Guanheng was forced to reply for him. 

“He did.” 

“Then have the public attempt to capture the dragon. I assume that most of the damage comes from the dragon of the Evil King and not from the human members of Neo.” Oh, how wrong Jeonghan was, but Sicheng had promised the cloaked man to not speak of their interactions, not a word of their levitation magic, of their ability to speak with just their minds, their teleportation ability, or the fact that they were able to run into a burning manor and jump out of a window with little to no injuries. 

“That,” Sicheng begged mentally for his father to reject the idea, to say that Jeonghan was out of his mind, but he knew better. “does not sound like a horrible idea.”

“I am honored that you think that, your majesty.” Sicheng was finally able to regain control of his body in time to see Jeonghan bowing to the king. He could not see the lord’s face, nor did he want to. He did not need to in order to know that everything was going according to whatever Jeonghan had been scheming. 

“Your majesty, will you offer up all four of your sons?” Sicheng did not see who asked the question. 

“No, that would be too much. I will offer my eldest, as he has the most power, and that is what the general population wishes for, is it not?” The king replied nonchalantly, as if he was not even aware of the love that his son had been nurturing for years with another man. How was he going to throw away something so strong so easily?

Sicheng could not control his mouth. He had already bitten his tongue when Jeonghan first brought up the topic of marriage, and now that the freedom of his older brother, the one Sicheng loved so much, was being threatened, he could not stay silent any longer. “Father, I cannot accept you offering up Prince Kun.” All eyes in the throne room were on Sicheng now, even Guanheng’s, whose seemed to ask Sicheng what he was doing. If he was being honest, Sicheng had not a clue what he was doing either. 

“And why not, Sicheng?” The king asked in a challenging tone. It was nothing more than a test to see if Sicheng was capable of fighting for something he wanted. Jeonghan looked less than happy, and Sicheng took that as a sign that he had done a good thing, trying to bargain for Kun’s freedom. 

Sicheng took a deep breath and started. “The royal family may have a good relationship with the Li clan as of now, as Prince Kun and Lord Ten have been assumed to be getting married for years, however, if we force Prince Kun into another marriage, one that is not within the Li family, instead with a total stranger, then tensions may arise.” 

“And who do you suggest as an alternative to Prince Kun? Yourself?” The king asked, and Sicheng hoped that his eyes displayed no fear as he nodded as confidently as he possibly could. “What benefits do you have compared to Kun?”

“Firstly, I have no prior commitments, meaning that if I marry a peasant, then not as many people will be irritated. I also have but a little less power than that of Kun, as we have the same abilities.” Sicheng explained, hoping, _praying_ that this was enough to save Kun from a fate that was worse than death: marrying one you did not love. As a royal, it was expected that they be ready to marry at any given moment, to be used as nothing more than a pawn in the politics of the upper class, however, Sicheng could not just let Kun and Ten’s love be torn apart in front of his eyes without at least trying to protect it. 

The king was quiet for a moment, mulling over his options. Jeonghan was trying in vain to hide his irritation, which made Sicheng at least a little happier on the inside. He would not let Jeonghan get his way. 

“Alright. I accept your offer. We will send out an official announcement tomorrow afternoon of this. Are there any objections?” The king said, and even if there had been, his gaze silenced any complaints. “Then I declare this court convened.”

He stood up from the throne, and Sicheng could barely react to his father falling in time for his head to hit the ground. 

⚘

“How is Father?” Chenle asked Sicheng when they met in the hallways outside their quarters, Sicheng about to go to a court meeting. The king had fainted last night, and he was currently bedridden from a high fever that not a single doctor had made progress on bringing down. “I was not allowed to see him.”

“He is not doing well. He may be unable to perform as usual for a long time.” Sicheng replied solemnly, and Chenle bit his lip. Jisung’s awkwardness was visible on his face. He had no personal ties to the king, no emotional bonds, no positive or negative feelings towards his actions, and Sicheng could tell that Jisung was having some trouble pretending that he was heavily affected by the king’s health. 

“I see.” Chenle sucked his lips in. “Sorry to bother you.” He turned around and left before Sicheng could tell him that he was not a bother, that he deserved to know what was happening with their father as much as anyone else in the kingdom, but Sicheng bit his lip and continued walking to the courtroom. Guanheng would meet him there. 

Today’s meeting was meant to determine the course of action, whether Kun would assume temporary authority or the people of the king’s court would take control amongst themselves, as well as whether the notice for the dragon’s capture would go out as scheduled. Sicheng was fairly sure that Kun did not even know of the notice, much less what was being offered in return for the animal. Hopefully, his brother would not be upset. 

Guanheng stood beside the threshold of the doors that opened to the courtroom, and Sicheng greeted him briefly before taking the door handles and pulling on them. The king’s court was not large in number, one shy of fifteen including Kun and Sicheng. It consisted of Jeonghan, Jisoo, Wonwoo, Hongjoong of the Kim family, Seonghwa of the Park family, Jinsol of the Jung family, Sooyoung of the Ha family, Haseul of the Jo family, Minghao of the Xu family, Junhui of the Wen family, Seungyeon of the Jang family, and Minji, also of the Kim family. The record keeper and secretary, Boo Seungkwan, attended most of the court sessions as well. Speaking lightly, Sicheng was not looking forward to meeting with Jeonghan again, yet despite the scheme he had set into motion last night, he was an important piece of the court that Sicheng could not get rid of. 

Sicheng was the last to arrive, despite it being almost an hour before the time that they had been meant to convene at. He knew that the court always met earlier than their planned time, but this was a new level. Kun looked up at the sound of the door opening, and after a brief tired smile, he cleared his throat to gain the attention of the court. After a quick scan of the room, Sicheng noticed that Tingyan was here as well. Would she not be needed at the king’s bedside now? 

“As everyone has gathered ahead of schedule, we will commence our meeting now.” Kun announced, and the little bits of conversation that had been going on were silenced. 

“For the first thing on our agenda, the Mångata Ball preparations have been stopped temporarily due to a particularly bad crop of wheat.” Seungkwan said, and Sicheng could see the flash of irritation on Kun’s face, but it was gone faster than Yangyang after executing a prank. 

“Then purchase from abroad.” Sicheng heard the disappointment in his brother’s voice, one that would only come from when he had wasted time doing something incredibly idiotic. Sicheng thought that the organizer’s would have been able to handle this by themselves, yet obviously they had chosen to bring it to the king’s court. It truly was a waste of time. 

Seungkwan hummed, marking something on his paper, and continued. “Next, deciding who shall assume control of the kingdom while his royal majesty is ill.” 

“I personally think, if I may be so audacious as to say so, that the king’s court should hold absolute power during these troubling times. If we were to give control of the entire kingdom to a single prince, then he would have more power than even his father. How would that be fair?” Jeonghan started, and Sicheng wished to throttle him. 

“Then do not give him full power. Prince Kun would be stepping in as king, not as God. Even King Yixing did not hold absolute power. He does not need to receive absolute power if you have no wish for him to do so.” Sicheng thanked Jinsol mentally for being able to defend his brother. If the king’s court obtained full control of the kingdom’s affairs, then… Sicheng simply had a very bad feeling in the pits of his stomach whenever he thought about it. 

“How can we think that he is mature enough to even act as king? His royal majesty is over three times his highness’s age. We cannot expect for them to have the same mental capacity with such a large age difference. It would be better if we, as the king’s court, assumed authority.” Sicheng had thought that he could trust Wonwoo to have the right opinion on this matter, but he was finding that he was wrong. 

“If his royal majesty is truly sick, and his condition is as bad as we are being told, then there is a large chance that Prince Kun will need to take the throne much earlier than usual, perhaps even within the next few months. Would it not be better for him to become more used to it before he does not have a choice as to whether he takes the throne or not? And did his majesty not take the throne at a similar age to Prince Kun?” Seonghwa said, which instantly made him Sicheng’s favorite lord in the room aside from Guanheng. 

“Lord Seonghwa is correct. And even if Prince Kun becomes overwhelmed, Prince Sicheng is more than capable of assisting, and the primary job of the king’s court is to assist the king, is it not?” Hongjoong said. As of the moment, Sicheng’s favorite people in the courtroom were Kun, Guanheng, Jinsol, Seonghwa, and Hongjoong. It was not only because of the bad feeling he had about letting the king’s court have the power they wanted, it was because they were defending Kun’s right to the throne in times of crisis, one that the rest of the court seemed to have forgotten about. 

“Prince Sicheng has just returned from a traumatic event, and his mind is likely not stable enough to be able to assist his brother. Not to mention that just last night, he offered for himself to be a prize, a mere object, in exchange for the capture of the dragon of the Evil King.” A wave of anger washed over Sicheng at Jisoo’s words. He was not ‘traumatized’, he had barely been awake during the fire, and the few minutes that he had been conscious were quite enjoyable, if he was being honest. 

Kun’s eyes were wide with surprise, and his gaze landed on Sicheng. Sicheng hoped that his own was able to convey that Kun would find out later what Jisoo was speaking of. 

“We are the king’s court, not the prince’s court. We are to support the king, and unless he says otherwise, we should not let Prince Kun take the place of king until we are given the order to let him.” Minghao said, his eyebrow cocked up arrogantly. 

Sicheng, finally opening his mouth, was about to help defend his brother until Sooyoung was speaking. “Are you so foolish and hungry for power that you have forgotten the law, Lords Jeonghan, Wonwoo, Jisoo, and Minghao? The law states that during a time in which the king is unable to perform his duties, his firstborn son will take the position of king until the proper king is fit to rule again.” Sooyoung said. “Must I pull up the books of law to show you?” 

Jeonghan, Wonwoo, Jisoo, and Minghao were shocked into silence, and Junhui, the only one of their clique that had not spoken up yet, bit his lip. Sooyoung’s use of the law had probably won them the debate, and Sicheng would always be grateful for the lords and ladies that had defended Kun, even when Sicheng himself was silent. 

“Are we settled, then?” Tingyan asked, and Seungyeon hummed.

“It would seem so, Lady Chong.” 

“Then, Prince Kun will temporarily hold the title of king until King Yixing recovers from his sickness.” Minji declared, and not a single person dared to argue with her confidence and seniority. 

Seungkwan wrote more on his paper, and then continued. “The final thing on our agenda for today’s meeting. The prize for the dragon of the Evil King, and as to whether we shall proceed as planned or deem it unnecessary for the survival of the kingdom of Ejulia.” 

“I do not think that Prince Kun has been told about this yet. Am I correct in my assumption, your highness?” Haseul looked at Kun, who nodded. 

“What is this all about?” 

“King Yixing demanded last night that the capture of Neo be our highest priority. Lord Jeonghan suggested that we offer a prize, one that held the promise of power that one could only obtain by marrying a prince. In exchange for the capture of the dragon of the Evil King, Prince Sicheng offered his hand in marriage.” Jinsol explained, and Kun’s eyes had turned into saucers filled with disbelief, now locked onto Sicheng.

“Personally, I think that we should proceed as planned. Like the king said yesterday, the longer we let Neo run free, the more risk the Mångata Ball is put at. Not to mention, with a new king, forgive me, a _stand-in_ king, our flow has been disrupted quite a bit.” Minghao stated. Sooyoung looked like she wished to rip Minghao’s vocal chords out of his body, and Sicheng had to stop himself from wishing that she did. 

“For once, I agree with Lord Minghao. Even if I am opposed to the idea of marrying Prince Sicheng to any random subject of the kingdom, Neo still remains unpredictable and dangerous unless we can capture them.” Seungyeon sighed softly, visibly conflicted by her options. 

“Is it unanimous that we proceed as planned then?” Seonghwa asked, and murmurs of agreement were heard all throughout the courtroom, from all but Guanheng and Kun, and Seungkwan marked the last thing on his paper. 

Kun dismissed all of the court after that, bar Sicheng. Once the two were sure that everyone was out of earshot, Kun began. 

“What?” It was only one simple word, but it carried so much emotion. Confusion, worry, betrayal, sadness. It weighed down on Sicheng like a horse had begun to stand on his chest. “Why would you give away your freedom like that?” 

Sicheng’s heart skipped a few beats out of guilt before he could find the strength to speak again. “I had to. I could not have just let you and Ten be ripped apart, knowing that I could have done something. I do not love anyone like you love Ten, like Dejun loves Guanheng, like Chenle loves Jisung. I was the only one suitable to do this. I do not mind having my freedom of choice taken away from me if it means that my family can be happy with who they wish to be with.” 

“But like you wish for us to be happy, we wish for you. Do you think that you will be happy marrying any person that simply captures a beast? You were so picky before, but now you are alright with this arrangement? There has to be something else we can do.” Kun shook his head, walking down from the judge’s platform to Sicheng. 

“There is nothing else. Father has already approved this, the announcement will be sent out any hour now. I truly do not mind. I just wish for you and Ten to be happy, and I know better than almost everyone that you cannot truly be happy without Ten by your side.” Sicheng said gently as Kun stopped in front of him. 

“And what of you? What will make you happy?” 

“Seeing you, Ten, Xuxi, Dejun, Guanheng, Yangyang, Sungchan, Chenle, and Jisung happy. I wish for nothing more than that, and I am more than willing to give up everything for that dream of mine. So do not try to stop me, Kun, because I will not let you.” Sicheng stared into his brother’s eyes, pools of black swirling with emotions that Sicheng could not decipher. 

Kun did not say anything as they stared at each other for a minute or so, and when he finally broke eye contact, it was to move forward and wrap his arms around Sicheng in a vice-like grip. Sicheng did not dare move, for fear that Kun’s hold on him would tighten. 

“When did you become so mature? I feel like you have grown up in the blink of an eye. I wonder how proud Mother would be of you.” Kun pulled away to cup Sicheng’s cheek with his palm, and Sicheng leaned into the warmth. 

“Just as proud as she is of you.” Sicheng did not remember much about his mother, but he did know that she loved them more than everything else combined, and he knew that she would be proud of them, no matter what they did.

⚘

The announcement had gone out that same afternoon, and less than two days later, the mail was filled with notifications that everyone and their mother had seen Neo’s base of operations. The castle staff, as well as Chenle and Jisung, were all visibly going insane going through every single tip. 

Sicheng’s father had recovered enough to begin travelling from his quarters to the throne room, a development that the entire castle was overjoyed to see, including Jeonghan, who Sicheng had kept an unwavering eye on ever since that court meeting. The king resumed superficial activities, such as greeting guests, but the bulk of the work was thrown onto Kun. Sicheng would have been surprised at how well Kun was keeping up with the burden of being king, but he had known since they were teenagers that Kun was not the type to become overwhelmed with responsibilities such as these. 

It was not until Chenle burst into the courtroom with a letter in hand and Jisung and Dahlia in tow that Sicheng ever thought that someone would be able to capture the dragon. There was no way that a mere human could capture a dragon that did not take well to humans, no matter its size. That was what Sicheng had been telling himself in self-reassurance that he would never need to get married, but as Chenle gave Minji the letter, Sicheng found himself losing hope. 

Minji’s eyes scanned over the paper quickly, and before Sicheng could even ask what the contents were, she was leaving the courtroom, feet moving so briskly that it was nearly a run. “Come,” She instructed Chenle, and he, Jisung, and Dahlia were following her, not giving Sicheng a chance to speak to any of them. 

Sicheng looked at Guanheng, who had been in front of the map and who was already looking at Sicheng in confusion. Shrugging, Sicheng walked over to the younger. “I do not know what that was about.” Sicheng said, and Guanheng sighed to himself. 

At noon, Sicheng found out from the king that the letter was from a person who had apparently already captured the dragon, and that they requested an audience with the king for this evening. He could not help but feel that it was fake, as it would be nearly impossible to capture an entire beast of fantasy in less than two days. There was a part Sicheng that _did_ wish it was fake, so that he would not lose his freedom so quickly, but he knew that the quicker the palace dealt with Neo, the less danger the Mångata Ball would be in. Sicheng had nearly fully prepared himself for this, hardening his mind so he would not be emotionally shaken, but he had thought that he would have more time. 

The king requested for Sicheng’s presence in the throne room whenever the visitor would come, and Sicheng was mildly eager to oblige. He wished to know what kind of person could catch Neo’s dragon. He had not taken Neo for the type of group to let their greatest asset get lost so easily. It just seemed very suspicious. 

The sun had long since gone to sleep, yet Sicheng and his father, as well as Tingyan and a few guards, were still in the throne room, waiting for the visitor that never specified what time they would be coming. Although Sicheng still did not understand what gave Minji the impression that the letter was valid, he had learned as a child that her instincts were second to none. 

Sicheng did not know what time it was when the messenger came knocking at the door to the throne room, but he knew that it was far later than what they had been expecting. Heejin, a daughter of the Jeon family, poked her head through the door after the king called her to open it. 

“A man is here that is claiming that he has an audience with your majesty.” Heejin said, slowly stepping further into the room.

“Send him in.” The king commanded, and after a bow, Heejin left the throne room again. Sicheng looked around the room, eventually meeting eyes with Tingyan, who looked less than pleased to have been kept waiting so long. Sicheng supposed that he understood her exhaustion. It had to be, at the very least, midnight. 

Heejin returned a minute later with a man in a cloak, with the dragon that Sicheng had seen on the night of the fire on a leather leash at his side. Sicheng thought it weird that the dragon showed no discomfort or fear, but what irked him more was the fact that he had seen that cloak before. It was different now that it was in proper lighting, but Sicheng had definitely seen it before, that same night that he saw the dragon first. 

This was a member of Neo, bringing their dragon himself. That would explain how he had gotten the dragon, but it did not explain why he had come. There was nothing in it for any member of Neo if they lost their animal. What could this person be trying to accomplish?

The man did not bow, even in front of the king. Sicheng’s father’s smile turned to a forced one as he started. “Welcome to the palace.” 

“Thank you for granting me an audience, your majesty.” Sicheng could not recognize the man’s voice off of the top of his head, but he knew that he had heard it before. His memory had dulled immensely as time passed, however, so he could not place it correctly. 

“How could I not? I see that you have succeeded in capturing the beast of that wretched rebel group.” The blue scaled animal hissed at Sicheng’s father and spread its wings after hearing that, and while the guards instantly put their spears up in case of an attack, the other man knelt down to stroke the dragon’s ear back. The animal folded its wings again, but its eyes were still narrowed in the king’s direction. 

The man stood up, still keeping a hand on the dragon’s head, and Sicheng’s father watched in awe. “Amazing. How have you managed to make it docile?” 

“Simply by treating him well. Any animal will love you if you are kind enough.” The man replied simply. There was a thin film of formality over the ocean of annoyance in the man’s voice, one that made Sicheng a bit fearful for the stranger. If anyone else in the room picked up on the tone, things might turn against the other man. Any tone of voice that held nothing but respect for the king could be twisted in whichever way the court wished it to be. 

"Who are you, brave and strong enough to capture and tame the beast of the bastard leader of the rebels?" Sicheng's father said, something akin to respect in his old eyes.

The cloaked figure finally lifted their head, and their hood fell off, revealing a pair of eyes that were alight with passion and determination, as well as anger. 

"My name is Nakamoto Yuta, and I am the bastard leader of the rebels."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, our boys finally meet. i hope you guys liked this chapter! 
> 
> i actually meant to release this on the 21st but i was waiting for my beta to read it over... she never ended up doing that so i just decided to do the bare minimum with gdocs grammar check. hopefully it's legible!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Yuta left for the castle, Taeyong had repeatedly told him how bad of an idea it was to go, but Yuta genuinely did not care. He did not care then, and he did not care now, as the king and the girl standing next to him gaped and the guards raised their spears towards him. Bluebell bared his teeth and threw his wings out, senses hyper tuned to the metal points. 
> 
> Taeyong had also told Yuta that if he caused a scene or hurt any of the palace’s inhabitants, he would shave Yuta’s head, and Yuta really did not want that, so he pushed down the urge to defend himself and tried to calm down Bluebell. The guards did not lower their weapons, however, so it was proving difficult to succeed in his task. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not betaed.

Before Yuta left for the castle, Taeyong had repeatedly told him how bad of an idea it was to go, but Yuta genuinely did not care. He did not care then, and he did not care now, as the king and the girl standing next to him gaped and the guards raised their spears towards him. Bluebell bared his teeth and threw his wings out, senses hyper tuned to the metal points. 

Taeyong had also told Yuta that if he caused a scene or hurt any of the palace’s inhabitants, he would shave Yuta’s head, and Yuta really did not want that, so he pushed down the urge to defend himself and tried to calm down Bluebell. The guards did not lower their weapons, however, so it was proving difficult to succeed in his task. 

“If you could all put your weapons down, then perhaps he would calm down. If you don’t, well, I cannot be held responsible for the consequences of _your_ choices.” Yuta bit out at the dozen or so soldiers, who did not waver in their stances or their grips on their weapons. 

“What are you hoping to accomplish here, fool?” The king asked. Yuta sighed and made his best effort to not roll his eyes. 

“I _was_ hoping to be able to negotiate something that works in both our favors, but if your guards are so eager to fight, then,” Yuta looked down at his dragon, still with his haunches raised and ready to launch himself at the nearest man. “the both of us would be more than willing to oblige.” 

The king didn’t speak for a few moments before raising his hand, and the guards took a step back and their spears went back to their sides. Bluebell still didn’t relax, but he also hadn’t been truly relaxed ever since they had left Neo City. Yuta just kept his hand on his soul companion’s head as he looked up at the king, and Sicheng next to the old man. Sicheng was utterly shocked, but Yuta had been expecting that. It didn’t look like he recognized Yuta specifically though, so Yuta thanked Sooyoung mentally for the masks that she had designed and produced. 

“You said you are of the Nakamoto family?” The king asked, and Yuta nodded. He already knew what was coming next. 

“The Nakamoto family was wiped out nearly fifteen years ago on Ejulia’s borders by bandits. How are you alive?”

Every time Yuta revealed his family name, he would be asked how he was alive and well when the rest of his family had perished in an ambush. To be honest, Yuta knew that he had only survived despite being seven at the time thanks to his uncontrollable magic. There had never been any bandits either. Yuta knew that his family had been wiped out by the design of noble hands. It was the entire reason why Yuta had founded Neo, why he had been endlessly pursuing justice for those who could not obtain it themselves. 

“I suppose I was not worth their time.” Yuta lied through his teeth with a shrug. Just like those ‘bandits’ had ended his family tree, he had ended their lives. 

“I see.” The king said dryly, and Yuta didn’t know how to keep the conversation going. 

Thankfully, Sicheng finally got over his shock and spoke. “What do you wish to negotiate, sir Yuta?” It felt odd to have Sicheng use a title with Yuta’s name, but he wasn’t about to stop the prince. 

“For the safety of Neo.” 

Yuta’s one primary goal was something that he had discussed tirelessly with Taeyong ever since the Park manor fire. When the notice was put out for the capture of Bluebell, Taeyong, Johnny, Taeil, and Yuta had spent the entire night in the meeting room, trying to figure out what they should do in the face of the actions being taken against them, and Taeil had offhandedly mentioned how young most of their group was. That sparked a conversation about how not a single one of the four wanted the younger ones to continue living like this, constantly in danger, constantly worrying about whether someone would recognize them, never being able to live like regular kids. 

And then Johnny had suggested that they open up negotiations with the royal family. Based on Dahlia’s and Sooyoung’s experiences, it hadn’t seemed like the people who actually mattered were hostile towards Neo simply for being Neo, and some — like Ten, Hongjoong, Seonghwa, and Jinsol — had even vocally expressed their support of Neo’s motives. In the case that Neo fell apart, which was likely, considering how risky everything they did was, none of them would have a life afterwards. They might not be recognizable, but none of them could live normal lives after being raised in an environment like this. 

So Yuta had gone to the castle with Bluebell to make a deal, and even though Taeyong was incredibly against the idea, he had lost by majority vote. The marriage reward was simply a nice little side bonus, but Yuta wasn’t about to push for it. Sicheng was beautiful and amazing in every way possible, and Yuta could easily see why he was so desired by other royalty, but there was no way that Yuta would force him to do something he didn’t wish to do. 

“For the safety of Neo? I apologize, but you can not expect me to guarantee your safety when you continuously attack the nobility and destroy their property.” The king said, mildly appalled at the suggestion, and Yuta sighed internally. He had expected this, but still, forcing his words to come out politely was proving harder than he liked. 

“Then we shall stop. If Neo disbands, all I am asking for is their safety. That they will all be able to live out normal lives, that the system can either forgive or forget what they have done in the past. That their records be wiped clean.” Yuta replied. He had already spoken to the older members of Neo about this, and they all had agreed that they would disband immediately if that was what guaranteed their safety. 

God, what would the younger members think if they found out about all the choices that had been made without their input? It probably wouldn’t be pretty, Yuta could figure that much. 

“You would disband Neo in exchange for forgiveness?” The king repeated, more so to himself than to anyone else, but Yuta still nodded, just in case the king actually _was_ asking for confirmation. 

The king thought for a while, and the room was thrown into an awkward silence. Bluebell still did not let his guard down, but the spines running along his back slowly lowered themselves. Yuta kept an eye on the animal while still looking around the room, where he somehow met eyes with Sicheng, who tilted his head ever so slightly with wide and curious pitch black eyes. The near childlike innocence reminded Yuta of Dahlia. 

“And you would promise to never cause any more trouble?” Yuta nodded. “I would need to speak to my advisors about this. I hope you understand why I can not take this deal immediately.”

“Of course, I understand, your majesty.” Because Yuta did. He knew that he certainly was not from the most trustworthy group, and he himself was not the type of person that the nobility could trust easily, especially with his lack of elaboration on how he had survived the attack that his family did not. 

“In the meantime, you will be given one of the guest quarters until a decision is reached, and I must ask that you do not leave them. I will permit you to keep your dragon for the time being, but if either of you cause any trouble, your quarters can easily be switched to a jail cell.” _So, I’m basically a prisoner,_ Yuta thought, but would never say out loud. Would he even be fed? What if they didn’t take the deal? What would Yuta do then? It was either he let himself be captured, or he broke out and made Neo even worse enemies of the state. He could always ask Taeil what to do through the telepathy spell that Taeyong had developed, but it took more energy than he would like to use. 

“As you command, your majesty.” Yuta bit his tongue and smiled as politely as possible. He wouldn’t let himself be caught being rude to the king now, not when there was still a chance to save the members of Neo from living their whole lives in hiding. 

“However, as you have brought the dragon, you will receive your reward, just as promised.” Yuta could see how Sicheng tensed up by just a fraction at his father’s words, and he knew that there was no way in hell that he could ask for this. 

The woman at the king’s side shot Yuta a glare before he could speak up though. As Yuta bit his lip, he wondered why she didn’t want him to say anything. Was it disrespectful to refuse to get married? Yuta didn’t want to be tied down at the age of 22, and he was decently sure that Sicheng didn’t want that either, especially when he was even younger than Yuta, with a promising life ahead. Yuta would never want to take that away from himself or from Sicheng. All he needed was for his family to be safe. 

“Then, I will have you escorted to your room. You will be summoned when the decision is made.” The king waved a hand, and a tall and muscular guard stepped out from the rest. “Sir Hongseok will be your guard. Do not hesitate to ask him for anything you may require.” 

Oh, Yuta would definitely hesitate to ask someone this terrifying for anything, but he still gave his thanks to the king and bowed respectfully. He supposed it was good for the king to be assigning Hongseok to him, because regardless of whether the royal knew or not, Hongseok’s younger brother, Jeongin, was a good friend of Jaemin. None of them had ever met Hongseok before, but Jeongin insisted that he only told his brother good things about Neo, and Yuta trusted the kid. 

Hongseok didn’t lay a hand on Yuta at all, and Yuta just followed the soldier down the hallways of the palace in silence, ignoring the stares he and Bluebell received from the staff. Typically, Yuta didn’t mind being the center of attention, but for some reason, he felt much more vulnerable than usual, so he flipped the hood of his cloak back up and pulled his mask over his nose. Hongseok’s eyes flickered back to Yuta for a split second, but he didn’t say anything once he saw that Yuta’s entire face was covered. 

Eventually, Hongseok stopped in front of a large wooden door, with intricate swirls carved into it. Was this how the rich lived, because if so, Yuta wondered how their eyes didn’t hurt with all the tiny designs that were common around the castle. 

“Please do not cause any trouble. You probably will not, but I felt I just had to tell you again. Jeongin is very fond of you all, so it would be a shame if negotiations fell through simply because of your inability to behave.” Hongseok whispered as he opened the door for Yuta and Bluebell, the former chuckling softly. 

“I won’t, thank you, Sir Hongseok.” Yuta bowed, both out of obligation and respect for allowing his brother to socialize with an enemy of the state despite working so close to the king. Hongseok hummed and shut the door after saying ‘I will be stationed right outside, so ask for anything you need’.

Bluebell stalked over to the enormous bed and sniffed it cautiously before throwing himself onto the sheets while Yuta went to the window to close the curtains. He wouldn’t cause any trouble, but he didn’t like the idea of anyone being able to look in and just watch. As his soul companion pulled up the sheets to create a makeshift nest for himself, Yuta explored the room. 

The nightstand, dresser, and desk were all made of deep brown mahogany, and atop the bed were sheets of silk blue with gold accents. Another door surrounded by a marble threshold led to a pristine bathroom, so clean and white that it was practically glowing. Surrounding the bed was a fluffy blue rug that Yuta’s feet sank into, and upon further inspection, he found spare robes in the dressers. The palace really knew how to treat their guests. This was the best place that Yuta had ever been in, even before his family had been lost to history. 

Yuta eventually let himself sink into the bed alongside Bluebell, the both of them nestled into the plush sheets that had been provided for them, and his eyelids began to droop. Hopefully, tomorrow would go in Neo’s favor. 

⚘

A series of knocks brought Yuta out of his sleep, and he heard his name being called by Hongseok. He grumbled out permission to enter, and the guard came in, light armor on his torso and shins but otherwise unprotected and without weapons. He carried a silver tray with a bowl and plate, but Yuta’s sleep muddled mind couldn’t figure out what the hell Hongseok was carrying until it was set onto the desk.

“It’s your breakfast. I’m sorry I could not get food for your dragon, but I will try my best during lunch.” Hongseok said, and if Yuta wasn’t mistaken, he would even say that Hongseok sounded regretful. How pitiful must Yuta be, for a palace guard to be sad that he couldn’t get enough food?

“It’s perfectly fine. Please do not stress over it.” Yuta sat up, careful to make sure that he didn’t wake Bluebell in the process. After living on the streets for years without any source of income or any skill in theft, Yuta had grown used to eating little and saving most of his food for Bluebell, who hadn’t asked to be created but had been anyway. Yuta’s first priority was always Bluebell when it came to things needed to live, regardless of the fact that Bluebell never really needed to eat. 

“It’s not. I promised Jeongin that I would take care of you. I will still be outside the door, so please, don’t hesitate to ask for anything you might want or need.” Yuta wanted the king to make the deal with him, but he doubted Hongseok could do anything about that. Still, it was sweet that the Yang brothers were doing their best to look after a criminal, so he flashed Hongseok the nicest smile he could possibly do before the guard left. 

Carefully wriggling out of the sheets, Yuta padded over to the window and peeked out of it in order to gauge what time it was. Somehow, despite all the beautiful furniture that was in the room, there was a noticeable lack of a clock. He guessed that it was about seven in the morning, not much earlier than when Yuta would wake up back at Neo City.

How was Neo doing? How were Taeyong, Taeil, Johnny, Jaehyun, and Doyoung explaining Yuta’s absence? Would the kids even believe whatever bullshit excuse they put out? From what Yuta had learned about them, they probably wouldn’t. Donghyuck was skeptical of everything, and Jungwoo was more than capable of sniffing out any lies they may have been fed. If you added the human lie detectors and the critical thinking skills that the rest of them had together, then Taeyong, Taeil, Johnny, Jaehyun, and Doyoung didn’t have a chance at hiding Yuta’s whereabouts. When that happened, Yuta had no choice but to hope that they could at least keep them from storming the castle to get him back. 

There was nothing for Yuta to do, but now that he was awake, he couldn’t go back to sleep, no matter how much he wanted to. Years of never letting himself rest past sunrise had engrained themselves into Yuta’ body systems. Only now, it was useless, as there was no way that the decision would be made any time soon. 

Hours passed, and Bluebell had eaten almost all of the food that Hongseok had brought by the time noon rolled around. A pen was spinning in Yuta’s fingers when he heard voices at the door, and felt his second soul companion within a few feet of him. Bluebell felt his sister as well, jumping off of the bed and scrambling to the door. 

Yuta could only hear Chenle’s voice from his bed, but he didn’t need to be a scholar to know that with Chenle came Jisung, and most likely Yangyang and Sungchan. The question was whether Hongseok would let them see Yuta or not. He seriously doubted that would happen. Maybe Yangyang would be able to weasel his way past the guard, but there was no way that Chenle, or any of his brothers, would be allowed anywhere near Yuta without express permission from the king, which most likely wouldn’t come for another few hours, or even days. 

Yet somehow, Yuta could hear Yangyang’s voice as it shot into a high-pitched “thank you, sir Hongseok!”, and the door was being flung open. It almost hit Bluebell, but the dragon recovered instantly and shot to Dahlia, who jumped out of both surprise and excitement. Chenle’s eyes were wide as he stared at the two animals’ interaction, but Yuta couldn’t pay much attention to the prince, thanks to Yangyang’s bright smile taking up all of his attention. It was even cuter in person than it was through Dahlia’s eyes. 

“Hi!” Yangyang chirped as he, Chenle, Jisung, Sungchan, and Hongseok entered the room. Hongseok looked dead on his feet, but his gaze on Yangyang still didn’t let up.

“I’m sorry, Yuta. They demanded that they be able to see you.” Hongseok said as he set another tray of food on the desk, to which Yuta laughed amicably. 

“That’s quite alright. I was getting extremely bored anyway.” Yuta said to the guard, then turning to Chenle with a smile that he hoped was friendly. “To whom do I owe the honor of seeing your highness in person?”

Chenle finally peeled his eyes away from Bluebell and Dahlia, who had already curled up against each other in the corner of the bed. “I was simply curious about the person who my brother was to marry.” He replied, still not completely focused on the conversation. “How is your dragon so familiar with Dahlia?”

“Now that, your highness, is a question I’m afraid I don’t have the answer to.” Yuta lied. How would they react if Yuta told them that Dahlia was Yuta himself and that he had been spying on the palace for the past three years? He didn’t know, but he could assume that it wouldn’t be pretty.

“What do you wish to know about me?” Yuta asked, slouching even further onto the headboard of the bed after patting the empty parts for his guests to sit down. He might not have been living in the most proper of conditions for the past fifteen years, but he still would never make any guests of his stand. Yangyang plopped onto an empty spot on the bed, while Sungchan, Jisung, and Chenle sat down a little slower and more carefully. Hongseok stood by the door, eyes never leaving the group, watching the prince and Yuta to make sure that there wasn’t anything suspicious happening. 

“Are you really a king?” Chenle asked with stars in his eyes, and Yuta wanted to coo at the prince endearingly. He truly was so adorable. 

“Of course not. I’m not sure where that nickname even came from, but rest assured, I am no king. I am not even the leader of Neo.” Yuta chuckled. They had no official leader, but everyone knew that Taeyong was the one best suited to lead them. 

“Guanheng said that you had no leader.” Yangyang piped up. 

That took Yuta a little off guard, as he didn’t remember ever seeing or hearing Guanheng telling Yangyang anything about Neo. When had Guanheng found the time away from Dahlia to tell Yangyang this? 

But Yuta refused to let any shock show on his face. “Well, Guanheng is correct. He must have done his research.” He knew full well how Guanheng knew all this, having been listening in on his mini lecture to Dejun and Sicheng that day at the beginning of the month. 

“What about your outfit? It looks so cool! Who designed it?” Chenle gushed, and Yuta didn’t let the fond look in Jisung’s eyes pass by his radar. But as for Chenle’s question, he couldn’t say that it was Sooyoung of the Ha family, one of the members of the king’s court, who specially designed everything for Neo. That would be horrible for both her and her family. 

“We designed it ourselves.” Yuta had to lie again. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Chenle, or any of the boys around him. It was that he couldn’t trust the palace guard who was standing at the threshold. The only reason Hongseok was even making somewhat of an effort to keep Yuta fed was because of Jeongin, but Yuta doubted that he had the same loyalty towards anyone else. 

“A group of men designed something like this?” Yuta didn’t like the look in Sungchan’s eyes. It reminded him too much of Jungwoo’s lie detecting look. But regardless of the pressure that the younger was unknowingly putting on Yuta, he smiled nonchalantly. 

“Yes, we did.” Sungchan raised an eyebrow but dropped the subject, thankfully. Yuta could lie just as well as the rest of Neo, but when faced against someone who seemed to have the same skill set as Jungwoo, he didn’t stand a chance. 

Yuta lost track of time, talking about meaningless things with his visitors and lying when needed, until Hongseok was clearing his throat. Chenle gave him the most betrayed look that Yuta had ever seen, but Hongseok shook his head firmly. 

“I’m sorry, your highness, but I should not have even let you in here. It has been far too long, and sooner or later, people will begin to inquire about your whereabouts. Sir Yangyang, you need to leave as well.” 

Chenle pouted, sticking his bottom lip out, while Yuta watched their interaction in amusement. He had seen how effective Chenle’s pouts were through Dahlia, and he doubted that Hongseok would be able to resist. Even Yuta himself could look at Chenle’s face and know immediately that he would do anything for the prince. 

“No, do not give me that look. You can not stay here for long, I told you that when I first let you in. But now, it has been almost five hours, which is already nearly an entire hour longer than what I told you initially. So come.” Hongseok held open the door with an arm that was practically demanding the prince to leave. Now that was a surprise. Yuta hadn’t taken Hongseok for someone who could resist Chenle, but now that he was thinking about it, Hongseok lived with Jeongin, so he had to have some sort of resistance to begging paired with wide, pleading eyes. 

Chenle huffed but stood up from the bed, Jisung following immediately after. “I’m sorry, sir Yuta. Thank you for lending me some of your time. I hope to get to know you a little better in the future, as you will be the one to marry my brother.” 

Yuta couldn’t do anything other than offer a prince a weak smile as Dahlia nudged Bluebell’s snout with her own and they left Yuta alone again. 

Yuta wasn’t summoned for the entire day, but the next morning, just as Yuta had woken up from the sound of heavy footsteps, his door was being opened. He barely had time to blink the sleep from his eyes before Hongseok began to speak. 

“You’re being requested in the throne room. I’m sure you already have an idea of why. Be out within five minutes, with the dragon.” Hongseok’s instructions were short and simple, but Yuta had already launched himself out of his bed and thrown his cloak on by the time Hongseok finished speaking. Bluebell, sensing Yuta’s excitement, was roused from his sleep and happily trotted to meet Yuta at the door. 

Hongseok didn’t spare any more words, choosing to start down the hallway without waiting to check if Yuta was actually ready to leave. That was honestly perfectly fine, as Yuta wouldn’t want Hongseok's eyes on him for longer than necessary. Yuta was only a year younger than the guard, but there was something in Hongseok’s eyes that Yuta did not want to mess with. 

The throne room had more people than last time. Aside from the king and Sicheng, who refused to look in Yuta’s direction, there was the king’s court. Sooyoung cocked an eyebrow up at him for a millisecond before the king cleared his throat. 

“Yuta of the Nakamoto family, you came here two days ago in order to make a deal with the nobility. Neo’s safety in exchange for their disbandment. Me and my advisors have spent the entire time since then trying to determine the best course of action from here.” The king paused, and Yuta’s breath caught in his throat. There was no better deal that Neo could have given the king, so if they rejected this offer, then Yuta wouldn’t be opposed to leaving to a foreign state to find lives for themselves. 

“We, as the Royal Ejulian Court of the King, have ruled in your favor. We have accepted your deal, and it will go into effect next week, once you receive the advertised reward of marriage to the second prince.” 

Yuta let out a deep breath of relief that he hoped none of the people in the throne room saw. This was practically the best case scenario. But the king continued speaking. 

“I must make a request of you, however.” _Oh, lord, please have mercy._

“What is it, your royal majesty?” 

“Neo has proven that they are capable of finding those who are guilty and use their power for wrong, and despite our disapproval of the methods used to punish them, the court does admire your skill in determining who is in need of punishment. So I request that Neo joins the authorities to legally dispose of those who break the law.” The king said. 

That wasn’t horrible. Yuta would rather that the younger members have nothing to do with crime anymore, but a request from the king was never a request, it was a command. 

“I am more than happy to oblige with your request, your majesty.” Yuta had grown sick of saying ‘your royal highness’, so he shortened it and hoped that no one would view it as disrespectful. He didn’t understand the purpose of adding the word ‘royal’ anyway. Was it not implied that a majesty was a royal as well?

“That is splendid. I must ask that you stay until this evening so that we may work out the details, but after that, you are free to return to your home and tell Neo of the news.” 

“Thank you, your majesty.” Yuta figured that he should at least get on one knee out of respect, and as he did, Bluebell licked his bare cheek. _We did it,_ Yuta thought, and Bluebell’s eyes were filled with nothing but joy. 

⚘

The week that followed was a blurry mess. It had been even more frantic than whenever Neo was about to go on a mission, although Yuta figured that they wouldn’t be needing to go through that stress anymore. The wedding had been scheduled for the fifth of May, but Yuta hadn’t had the time to even have a single conversation with Sicheng. He had been going back and forth from the palace to Neo City to relay information like a mere messenger, but he probably was useless when it came to finalizing details anyway. It might’ve been more efficient for Taeyong to come to the palace in person, but no one wanted to reveal themselves to the public yet. 

Although, personally, Yuta found it absurd that Sicheng seemed to be perfectly fine with being thrown into a marriage that had no actual benefit to the royal family. Yuta hadn’t demanded that the reward be given, so it was a little odd that it was even happening. In all honesty, if it weren’t for Chenle’s eagerness to have an in-law, Yuta might have rejected the whole marriage proposition. 

An entire banquet had been prepared in a week for the wedding, and Yuta marvelled at the skill of the palace staff to be able to organize something so large in such little time. It was odd that the wedding had been so rushed, but Yuta didn’t have any actual complaints about the timeline, other than the fact that he knew his betrothed’s younger brother better than his actual betrothed. Yuta didn’t know a whole lot about getting married, but he was decently sure that that was not supposed to happen. 

Yuta had his first conversation with Sicheng when he had just returned from Neo City with Taeyong’s answer for a question that some Lord Jeonghan had had. ‘How can you promise that you will not betray us?’, to which Taeyong’s response had been ‘If we were going to betray you, then we wouldn’t have revealed Yuta’s face or name, and instead, we would have gotten an inside man’. He was smart, but Yuta wasn’t surprised anymore. He had known this from the first time that he met Taeyong and had almost gotten his money stolen. 

Sicheng had been standing awkwardly outside of the throne room, his attendant nowhere to be seen, so Yuta called out to him. 

“Your highness, is something wrong?” Yuta asked as he walked closer to the prince. 

Sicheng froze and his every muscle tensed, much to Yuta’s confusion. He didn’t remember doing anything wrong to Sicheng. Perhaps he was just shy? But why would he let his shyness show? Weren’t royals required to be polite with everyone they meet?

“No, not at all. Welcome back, Sir Yuta. Or should I call you simply Yuta, and you use my name as well? It would only be natural, considering that we are holding the marriage in two days.” Sicheng said after shaking the nervousness away with a slight movement of his head. 

“It doesn’t matter what you call me. I have no status, after all, so there is no need to call me ‘sir’, but if you would wish to use a title, then who am I to stop you?” Yuta shrugged. “Do you need something in the throne room? Is everything alright?” 

“The king fell ill again in the time that you were away.” Sicheng replied, and Yuta softened his body as much as possible. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry, your highness. I suppose that everything is not alright then.” Yuta wanted to lighten the mood somehow, but his mind was blank in ways to do that. 

“No, it is. I am simply a tad worried about Prince Kun. He is taking it the hardest out of the royal family, but he still is required to do the job of king just as well as our father, if not better.” Sicheng looked at a random point on the floor, avoiding Yuta’s gaze, whether it was on purpose or not. 

“From what I’ve heard, he’s extremely capable, even for an heir. I’m sure he won’t have a problem.” 

Sicheng hummed in response but didn’t say anything else. If Yuta had been just a little more dense, he would’ve thought that Sicheng didn’t want to talk, but there was something in his downcast eyes that showed Yuta that the prince simply didn’t know how to keep the conversation going. It was the exact same look that Shotaro had had when he first met Neo. 

“But how are you, your highness? I’m sure that this is all an enormous change for you.” That Jeonghan man could wait. Sicheng would soon become Yuta’s first priority, so it only made sense to begin caring and getting to know each other now. There was no telling what would happen after the wedding. There were numerous groups of nobles that still were not on board with the marriage, and if Yuta was reading their moves correctly, the rebranded Neo would immediately have a lot of trouble on their hands. 

“I am… Well, it is certainly new.” Sicheng let out a soft laugh. “Can I be frank with you?”

“Of course.”

“To be honest, I was not expecting for someone to come with the dragon so quickly. I suppose that I was hoping it would take around another year for someone to manage to capture him.” Sicheng still didn’t meet Yuta’s eyes, instead opting to look right over Yuta’s left shoulder and towards the other end of the hallway. 

“My sincerest apologies, then, your highness, for coming so quickly.” Yuta wanted to bow, but he also felt like that was far too formal. Sicheng hadn’t been suffocatingly dignified, so if he were to bow out of apology, that might set back the fraction of progress that they had made in their relationship. 

“No, it is quite alright. I am ready for anything, and I understand that you needed to come here quickly in order to keep Neo safe. You need not apologize.” Sicheng quickly said, blinking quickly, and Yuta wondered if he had said something wrong. 

Well, Taeyong and Johnny had always told him that he was too blunt for his own good, so what harm could being himself cause now?

“Have I said something offensive?” Yuta tilted his head and widened his eyes in an attempt to be seen as harmless as possible. 

“Of course not. I just had a thought come to me in the middle of speaking.” Sicheng blinked a few times again before he finally looked at Yuta. Or rather, at the point in between Yuta’s eyebrows. 

“Could I ask what it was?” 

Sicheng moved his gaze just a bit lower, and after a week, he had finally made eye contact with Yuta. But Yuta couldn’t say that he liked the emotions that were beginning to pool in the darkness. 

“I remembered an old friend of mine, who is presumably dead. Dead from the fire that Neo started at the Park manor, two years ago.” 

Yuta knew who Sicheng was talking about. A Renjun boy that had been Dahlia’s best friend before he got caught in the Park manor during the fire and went missing. Honestly, Yuta had always been a little wary of Huang, who shared the same family name as Renjun and joined less than two days after the fire, but he wasn’t sure if he could tell Sicheng of that. He had yet to even confront Taeyong about it. 

Still, Yuta had an overwhelming lack of evidence. Even if he had his suspicions, he couldn’t give Sicheng false hope based on a thought. Or could he? 

“I’m sorry for your loss. I truly am. But I’ve been with Neo for the past four years, and not once in that time have we had a casualty. If you wish, I am more than willing to help you find your friend. And if it turns out that he really is dead, then you have full permission to either forget that I exist or to get revenge for your friend.” Yuta wasn’t a master of thinking on the spot, but he could at least offer this. 

“Get revenge? You mean to say that I have your permission to set you on fire in your sleep?” Sicheng quirked an eyebrow up, and Yuta smiled sweetly at the prince, although on the inside, he was going into a bit of a panic. Yes, he just said that Sicheng could get revenge for Renjun if it turned out that he was dead, but Yuta wasn’t the biggest fan of pain. 

“Of course. I never go back on my word.” 

⚘

Times like these helped Yuta realize that perhaps he should’ve listened to his mother more in his youth. She and his father were irreversibly and unconditionally in love, and one of the only things she loved more than Yuta and her husband was speaking of their wedding. Yuta remembered how her eyes would light up when a six-year-old Yuta would play with her wedding ring, and every single time, she would tell him about how beautiful it had been, and every single time, a childish Yuta had not paid attention. 

The knowledge of what happened at a wedding would be extremely useful right about now, as he had been fussed over by numerous attendants who had insisted that he must look good for the prince and for the kingdom. They had brushed his hair back, used fancy gold earrings for his piercings — something that Yuta hadn’t paid attention to since he had them done by Jaemin and Jeno almost three years ago — and a golden chain had been hung around his neck before he was thrown onto the enormous platform and under the scrutiny of Ejulia’s public. 

The palace had graciously kept Yuta’s identity and past affiliations a secret, as well as the identities of the rest of Neo. They had actually done quite a lot in order to make sure that Neo never caused any more trouble, even giving the members legal immunity for anything that they might have done in the past, which Neo had been overjoyed at hearing. The only reason that Doyoung and Donghyuck were a part of Neo was because they had failed robbing a treasury. If Neo had disbanded, then those two would have been imprisoned, without a doubt, so being granted immunity was nothing short of a miracle. 

Yuta had been watching Sicheng through Dahlia — that sounded creepy, but Yuta swore that he never meant to watch Sicheng specifically — for about three years now, so he had gotten quite used to seeing the prince’s face, but he could have never prepared himself for Sicheng in formal wear and with everything about his physical appearance flawless. 

On top of Sicheng’s eyelids was a blue cosmetic powder that faded into gold towards the inner eye, and his cheeks were dusted with a gold that shimmered in the light of the afternoon sun. His clothes were all pure white, contrasting to Yuta’s black. He supposed that those were the roles that had been somehow assigned to them, for Yuta to be viewed as the masculine one of the relationship while Sicheng was the feminine. How absurd, to assume that every relationship needed a female and male role, but Yuta already knew that Sicheng would never accept being the feminine role. Around Sicheng’s neck was a chain with the same intricate charm that Yuta was fairly sure was on his ear in the form of an earring. So they had been given matching jewelry already. 

The officiator spoke, and finally, he turned to Yuta and asked, “Yuta of the Nakamoto family,” The way he spoke was as if there still was some remainder of the Nakamoto family out there aside from Yuta. “do you take Sicheng of the Zhang family, the second prince of the royal family of Ejulia, to be your lawfully wedded husband?” 

“I do.” Yuta did not particularly mind this. He had initially been quite worried about being tied down, but Taeyong had recently informed him that this marriage was a symbol of Neo’s alliance with Ejulia and that it was in everyone’s best interest that Yuta took the marriage seriously, just as Sicheng was expected to. 

The officiator turned to Sicheng. “Sicheng of the Zhang family, the second prince of the royal family of Ejulia, do you take Yuta of the Nakamoto family to be your lawfully wedded husband?” 

“I do.”

Yuta didn’t know a whole lot about weddings, but he was fairly certain that he already knew what was coming next, and he couldn’t exactly say that he was extremely thrilled to kiss a near-stranger in the sight of almost the entire kingdom. But still, if Sicheng was not going to hold back, then Yuta supposed that he shouldn’t either. 

“Please exchange the rings.” Yuta took a small box out of the pocket that was hidden in his overcoat, and Sicheng did the same. They opened the boxes at the same time, and Sicheng offered his hand. Yuta didn’t know if that was an obligation or if Sicheng simply did not want to waste time in a staring contest with Yuta to figure out who would give their hand first. Regardless, he slipped the gold band, sparkling sapphire embedded into the center, onto Sicheng’s left ring finger. Seconds later, Sicheng was doing the same to Yuta, and the audience began to murmur. Whether it was positive or negative, Yuta could not possibly care less. The approval of the public did not matter to him. All that was important was that Neo could live out their lives in peace. 

After the rings were exchanged, the officiator spoke again. “Then, you may now kiss.” He said and took a small step back while Sicheng took a step towards Yuta. His eyes were dead exhausted, conveying an emotion that said ‘I might as well get it over with’, and Yuta could barely register what was happening before Sicheng’s lips were on his, and the audience erupted in thunderous and hungry cheers. 

⚘

Yuta had been escorted to an empty room after the ceremony was finished. At least, it had been empty until attendants flooded in with a new set of clothes for Yuta to wear, these ones in blue and gold, the colors of the Zhang family and of the kingdom of Ejulia. This marriage would immediately boost Yuta’s status to that of a prince consort, and thus he was required to look like he actually somewhat cared about the kingdom. 

When the attendants had finished dressing him, he was brought to a hall that was nearly empty besides Sicheng and his attendant, Guanheng. Sicheng was dressed in the same colors as Yuta, but with far more designs and patterns, as well as add-ons such as extra buttons and ribbons. Sicheng and Guanheng looked in Yuta’s direction as soon as he entered the hall and immediately halted their conversation. Guanheng’s eyes demanded that they continue another time, and Sicheng nodded before turning to Yuta. 

“It’s nice to see you again, Guanheng, your highness.” Yuta grinned as he approached the pair. Guanheng gave Yuta a small nod of his head. 

“Likewise, but please, you have no need to use formal titles any longer. Please call me Sicheng.” Sicheng returned the smile, albeit more held back than Yuta’s. “I hope that the attendants have been treating you well. If you ever need anything, do not hesitate to ask someone.” 

“Ask someone?” Despite the curious looks that he was receiving from Guanheng, Yuta figured that this was an alright time to begin to joke around. After all, Yuta and Sicheng would only become less awkward if they let go of their reservations. “What if it so happens that I am an extremely particular person and none of the castle staff can fulfill my needs?” Yuta put as much joking tone as he could in his voice, so there was little to no chance that Sicheng misunderstood him. 

Sicheng blinked a few times before smoothing his face into a neutral expression. “Given our wide range of guests, the castle staff is more than suited to cater to your every wish. I am certain that you will have no problems.” That was a more formal response than Yuta had been expecting. But the smile was returning to his face, although this one was far more casual. 

“Although, given that you have been living in a cave for the past few years, I am sure that your standards are not impossibly high. In fact, they must be quite the opposite.” Oh, Yuta liked this Sicheng much better than the prince with no emotions. 

“Would you like to be surprised? Because I am very good at passing people’s expectations of me.” Yuta asked with a smirk, and Sicheng raised a challenging eyebrow. 

“Is that so? I am certainly looking forward to whatever surprise you may throw at me.” Sicheng said wryly before Guanheng cleared his throat.

“Well, _I_ am certainly looking forward to the feast, so if you two could possibly make your entrance a little quicker, then we could enjoy ourselves.” Guanheng said, making Sicheng roll his eyes. Yuta knew of the lack of formality between Sicheng and Guanheng thanks to Dahlia, but after seeing how the rest of the palace spoke to Sicheng, it almost gave Yuta whiplash. 

“As you wish.” Sicheng said, shaking his head with a sigh. 

Then he linked his right arm with Yuta’s, and at Yuta’s somewhat baffled look, he explained, “It is tradition that the newly wed couple enters arm in arm, to represent their union.”

Yuta hummed in acknowledgement, and then Guanheng was stepping in front of them towards the large set of wooden doors at the end of the hallway. Despite having never been in this specific part of the palace, Yuta could at least guess that the banquet hall was past those doors. 

Guanheng entered ahead of them, and Yuta heard the noise of conversation die down immediately. Guanheng shouted words that Yuta couldn’t hear clearly, and then the door was opening. The enormous crowd of people stared at Yuta and Sicheng, but before Yuta could freeze, Sicheng tugged at his arm, causing Yuta to snap out of his shock and they entered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woah i was really trying to update this on time and i just barely managed. i usually try to have like three chapters in my draft ready to go at any time but i don't even have chapter five completed :/ that one might be later than usual too i'm sorry
> 
> anyways i hope you liked this chapter and that you'll like the next one too! have a wonderful day/night


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You know, I heard from Lord Seonghwa that Neo would be coming to the palace today."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unbetaed :]

Sicheng had been raised around crowds, he had been raised to be able to withstand the stares of the public, and he had been raised properly. He had never lacked in anything or failed in anything that he had been taught. So, he wondered why exactly he felt so incredibly anxious entering the banquet hall with Yuta’s arm linked with his. Nervousness was not a feeling stranger to Sicheng, but still, it was a bit odd that he felt this strongly. It made no sense. 

Although, if Sicheng thought about it, then he supposed that the reason he felt this way was because he had just thrown away his freedom, and now, he was being shown off to the entire kingdom, the second prince to be born yet the first to marry, to a man who was of no notable standing. The kingdom knew that Yuta came from a supposedly dead clan, but none of them felt any sympathy for Sicheng’s husband. 

Sicheng had been observing the crowd during the wedding ceremony. He saw very clearly the way that nearly none of them had been truly happy. They had most likely wanted Yuta’s position for themselves. Sicheng was glad that Yuta had been the first one to come forward. If any random power-hungry civilian had somehow managed to get their hands on the dragon, then things could have been disastrous for the kingdom, though Sicheng highly suspected that Jeonghan and his associates had been aiming to get the reward. 

The lord in question was currently nearly glaring at Sicheng and Yuta as they descended the stairs together, Guanheng clearing the path to the seats at the front of the room, reserved for the royal family and their attendants, Ten, and now, Yuta. Sicheng greeted a few nobles as they made their way there, but ultimately ignored everyone who was not heavily involved with the royal family, and even those who were, such as Jisoo, Jeonghan, and Wonwoo. 

Sicheng’s father had been deemed well enough to be able to attend the banquet with nearly no restrictions, aside from needing Tingyan and Xiening, Yangyang’s older sister and one of the palace’s most skilled doctors, at his side every moment of the night. Guanheng seated Sicheng and Yuta on the king’s left side, and upon seeing his father’s outstretched hand, Sicheng gently pressed his lips to the knuckles decorated with jewel encrusted rings. After a miniscule nudge from Chenle, Yuta followed Sicheng’s lead, and the king hummed in acknowledgment. 

The king then cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the entire hall. For a moment, Sicheng met eyes with a man in the audience. Taeil of the Moon family. Sicheng had never interacted with him before, due to the differences in their jobs and status, but something about his eyes seemed incredibly familiar. Quickly writing it off as a trick of the light, Sicheng focused on his father, who had begun to address the audience. 

“We are gathered tonight in order to celebrate the marriage union of the second prince, Zhang Sicheng, and the first son of the Nakamoto family, Nakamoto Yuta. As many of you know, the palace sent out a demand for the capture of the beast of a rebel group no longer than two weeks ago, and Nakamoto Yuta delivered it within the same week. Since then, he has turned that rebel group into something that could not even threaten a simple forest squirrel. He has been an incredibly productive asset to Ejulia, and he has more than earned the right to sit at the same table as the royal family. I ask that the kingdom accept both Nakamoto Yuta and this newborn union with open and welcoming arms.” 

It was a shorter speech than Sicheng was used to from his father, but he supposed that it got the king’s point across fairly well, so he joined the applause that had arisen in the hall. 

“With that said,” Sicheng’s father continued, “please, everyone, let us raise a glass for the couple.” Sicheng noticed that his father did not say ‘for the happy couple’ as he raised his glass, but he figured that it was factually correct. Were either of them happy in this arrangement?

After the toast was finished, no one stayed quiet for any longer, and the room was quickly filled with the sounds of silverware clinking on plates, of the chatter of the nobility as they spoke amongst themselves, and songs from a group of a musicians beside the stairs that Sicheng and Yuta had entered from. 

Sicheng was not sure what to speak about with Yuta, so he opted to turn to Guanheng, whose eyes were expectant, hopeful to finish their conversation from earlier. As much as Sicheng wanted to tell him about that night, wanted to tell him about the promise that Yuta had made to him, he knew that it was not a wise decision to speak of any of those things while in public. So he started a conversation with his attendant completely unrelated to what they had been discussing no longer than an hour earlier. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Sicheng could see Yuta smiling as he spoke to Chenle and Jisung, and Sicheng’s youngest brother was even laughing at whatever Yuta had just said. Since when had they been so close? Sicheng had been slightly out of touch with Chenle, needing to organize many things for the wedding and take care of some responsibilities that came from the Mångata Ball, so it made sense that Chenle made connections that Sicheng was not aware of, but it came as a surprise that Chenle had made friends with Yuta of all people. Unlike Kun, who did not have the time to interact with Yuta, and Dejun, who was angry that Sicheng had been put in danger thanks to Neo’s actions, Chenle seemed to have no problem talking to Sicheng’s new husband. 

“Your highness, would you perhaps like for me to let you talk to your husband?” Guanheng asked with a cocked eyebrow, and Sicheng quickly shook his head.

“No, it is quite alright.” Sicheng hoped that Guanheng could sense his apprehension through his words. It was not as if Sicheng hated Yuta; there was no reason for him to. But still, his mind could not let him forget that if not for him and Neo, Ryujin and Yuna would not be left without a mother, regardless of how horrible she had been. Part of Sicheng’s post-attack errands had been checking on Ryujin and Yuna, the latter of which had just returned from visiting a branch of the Lee families to find out that her mother was imprisoned. The both of them refused to speak to anyone bar Sicheng, and even to him, they barely spoke of their mental states and thoughts on what was happening. It seemed like Ryujin had a particular dislike for Yuta, glaring at him every time Sicheng saw the two in the halls at the same time. 

Guanheng stared at Sicheng for a long moment before going back to whatever he had been talking about seconds before. Sicheng allowed himself to lose his focus, as Guanheng was talking to Dejun more so than Sicheng anyway. 

Chenle’s voice calling Sicheng’s name brought him back into the banquet hall, and Sicheng turned to his youngest brother.

“Sicheng, you did not tell me that Yuta could use magic.” Chenle said, with a playful accusatory tone in his voice, and Sicheng huffed out a noise somewhat similar to a laugh. 

“I suppose it slipped my mind.” Sicheng replied, and Chenle pouted at him for a moment, but it was cut short by Yuta speaking. 

“Would you like for me to show you?” Yuta offered, and both Chenle and Jisung nodded vigorously. Even Sicheng was somewhat intrigued with what Yuta could possibly do. Guanheng had said that Yuta, as the Evil King, was the most powerful magic user in all of Neo, so he surely was capable of impressive things. 

“Look, your highness, at the door.” Yuta pointed to the door that Sicheng and Yuta had entered from. Chenle followed Yuta’s finger and tilted his head curiously after a second, turning back to Yuta. 

“What about it?” 

“You cannot see the hallway past it, correct? Because it’s solid, you have no clue what is behind there.” Chenle nodded slowly. 

“So, if I cast this spell on you,” Yuta held out his hand, palm facing towards the ceiling, and a translucent cerulean orb appeared in it, floating a finger’s length above the skin. 

“Hold on, you are going to cast the spell on Chenle himself?” Sicheng asked apprehensively. What if something went wrong? What was Yuta even planning to do with this spell?

“Relax, your highness, it’s completely safe. It’s a sight spell that allows one to see through one solid surface.” Yuta smirked at Sicheng before turning to Chenle. “You are okay with this?” 

“Of course!” Chenle chirped, and Sicheng saw Jisung’s face morph into one of concern that Sicheng was sure mirrored his own. 

Yuta moved his hand in a circle, and the orb disappeared. Sicheng saw Chenle’s eyes turn the same color as the orb as Yuta pointed back to the door. 

“Look now, your highness. You can see everything out there easily, am I correct?” Yuta asked, and Chenle nodded quickly. 

“I can see all the servants so well! I can even tell who everyone is!” Chenle marvelled. 

“How long is the spell’s effect?” Sicheng asked, eyeing Chenle’s glowing irises suspiciously. He really hoped that Chenle did not have this ability for longer than an hour. Who knew what trouble his baby brother could cause with this power?

“No longer than a minute. I can cancel it manually as well.” Yuta put his palm facing Chenle’s face, and the cerulean color slowly faded away, causing a frown to spread on Chenle’s face.

“That power would be incredibly useful in everyday life. I wish I could learn magic as well.” Chenle sighed as he looked down at his plate, picking at its contents with his fork.

“I am sure that magic comes with its flaws as well. Nothing is ever as glamorous as it seems initially.” Sicheng shook his head disapprovingly, and to his surprise, Yuta hummed in agreement. 

“Your brother is correct. Magic is extremely exhausting, and if you push your limits even by a fraction, it can cripple you or even kill you. It’s a very exact practice, and I wouldn’t recommend it for many people. It’s much better and safer to let an experienced magic user do everything you need.” 

“Does that mean that I can make you do whatever I wish?” Chenle fired back immediately, and Yuta’s eyes widened in surprise, but the shock was quickly overtaken by a smile.

“Only if it doesn’t involve hurting anyone.” Yuta tilted his head up with a quirked eyebrow and a wry smile. 

“Why are you condoning this? You should be condemning it. You should know, better than anyone, that magic should not be played with.” Sicheng could not stop the frown from creeping onto his face. Being seen as a square was the last thing Sicheng wanted, but Chenle’s safety was a priority, especially because Jisung could not defend his charge in front of a prince consort. Just because Yuta was the most powerful out of Neo did not mean that he could control his power perfectly, and there was no way that Sicheng would ever allow any harm to come to his brother. 

“Oh, come on. I know what I’m doing. I know my boundaries, and I would never use anything that could be possibly harmful to his highness.” Yuta gave Sicheng a ghost of a pout, and Sicheng pushed his lips together out of mild exasperation. 

“You should put more trust in him. A relationship is built on mutual trust, is it not?” Chenle cocked his head to the side with wide eyes. Sicheng just sent his brother a silencing glare in response. Maybe most relationships were built on trust, but Yuta and Sicheng’s relationship was far from normal. Yuta was the reason that the king had suddenly become so stressed and ill, and he was the reason that Sicheng had been required to go for daily medical checkups for the following two weeks after the fire. If one added in what happened to Ryujin and Yuna, then they could see exactly why Sicheng had some trouble trusting Yuta with anything. 

Chenle frowned, making Sicheng regret being so harsh towards his brother instantly, but just as quickly as it had appeared, the frown was gone, and Chenle had returned to his conversation with Yuta as if nothing had happened. The hesitation in Yuta’s tone was obvious, most likely surfacing after Sicheng’s words, and Sicheng could not help but feel even more guilty. Perhaps he was being even more strict than the palace tutors. 

It was his wedding night after all, and it seemed as if everyone was enjoying themselves, for the most part. As he fiddled with the golden ring on his finger, Sicheng supposed that it could not hurt to loosen up, just by a fraction. 

The night passed by in a flash after Sicheng made the decision to let go of some of his worries. Dejun and Chenle had brought Sicheng to the space that had been open for dancing after they had eaten their fill, and thanks to his brothers and their attendants, Sicheng had been able to relax enough to pull Yuta from his seat. Yuta had put up no fight at all, letting himself be led to the dance floor in a daze. 

It might have been the alcohol flowing through Sicheng’s body that made him lean his head on Yuta’s shoulder during the last waltz of the night, or it might have been the exhaustion from his responsibilities. But if anyone ever asked him, Sicheng would never even imply that he had done it of his own free will, and he especially would never admit that he thought that Yuta was warm. 

⚘

Morning brought about Chenle charging into the room, something that Sicheng was no longer fazed by and had not been surprised by since he was fifteen. The only thing that startled Sicheng was the fact that there was a strange body next to him, and he nearly shouted for the guards before remembering that it was tradition to always sleep in the same bed as one’s spouse, even if nothing happened. 

The noise that Chenle had made caused Yuta to awaken as well, and when Sicheng glanced in Yuta’s direction, he noticed that his husband’s eyes were wide with alarm. It was not until Chenle shouted ‘good morning’ that the mild panic faded away. 

Sicheng did not bother to sit up all the way, instead leaning against the headboard and preparing himself for the inevitable body that would be thrown onto him, regardless of whether Yuta was there or not. And come it did, and Sicheng caught his youngest brother with a small grunt escaping him as Chenle’s head collided with Sicheng’s stomach. 

Yuta, fully awake and sitting up properly, smiled softly at Chenle while patting him once on the head. “Good morning, your highness. I hope you slept well.” 

“I did! How did you two sleep? You know, I heard from Lord Seonghwa that Neo would be coming to the palace today. Is that true, Yuta?” Chenle raised his head from Sicheng’s stomach to stare at Yuta with pleading eyes at the same time that Jisung entered the room, quietly closing the door behind him and bowing his head in Sicheng’s direction. 

“It is true, your highness. They were all requested to come here as the final step in my agreement with your father to disband Neo.” 

“Will I be able to meet them?” Chenle asked, his eyes becoming even more hopeful and wide than Sicheng ever thought possible. 

“I don’t think I have any power to answer that question. Perhaps, Prince Sicheng knows?” Yuta and Chenle turned to Sicheng in sync so perfect that it was a bit terrifying and so overpowering that Sicheng found that he did not have it in himself to tell Yuta to not use his title any longer. 

“I have no jurisdiction over that as well. If you wish to meet them, then you will most likely need to ask for Father’s permission.” Sicheng’s response caused Chenle to purse his lips and sigh. “Oh, do not be like that. He will give you permission no matter what you ask for.” 

“Although, personally, I would rather not need to talk to him more than I need to. I would not want to burden him anymore than he already is.” Chenle said, looking at Jisung’s feet and refusing to make eye contact with anyone in the room. 

“Why do you not ask Prince Kun? I thought that he was acting king until King Yixing is healthy again. And would it not be easier to get permission from him than from your father, since Chenle is closer to him than his majesty?” Yuta asked, more to Sicheng than to Chenle, and Sicheng furrowed his eyebrows. 

“That’s true. Kun would most likely instantly say that you can do as you wish as soon as he even catches sight of you, and that would not stress him out much as well, so there is no need to worry about that.” Sicheng tapped Chenle’s hair, but the youngest prince only planted his face into the mattress and sighed again. He mumbled something indistinguishable, causing Yuta to let out a soft chuckle. 

“What was that, your highness?” 

Chenle flipped over, his body rolling across both Sicheng and Yuta’s legs. “Even if he would not spare me a second thought, I would still take up at least five seconds of his time that he could possibly be using for his other responsibilities as acting king.”

“I thought that you wished to meet Neo? If you do, you’re going to need to be even a tiny bit selfish, although I doubt that there would be much of a difference if you took a mere five seconds of his highness’s time.” Yuta asked with a tilt of his head. 

Chenle groaned. “I do! But I also do not wish to bother him…” 

“Then should I ask for you?” Yuta offered, to which Sicheng found himself instantly shaking his head in agreement with the suggestion. As prince consort, Yuta now had the privilege of direct communication with the royal family, and it seemed as if he did not have half of Chenle’s timidness. Having him ask in the scenario that Chenle could not bring himself to do so would not be a horrible idea. Of course, it might result in Chenle becoming even more pampered than he had been before, but Sicheng wanted only the best for his brother. 

Chenle also seemed to be fond of that offer, his eyes widening in eagerness. “You would really do that for me?” 

“Of course. I’m sure that none of Neo would mind meeting you anyways. I wouldn’t mind asking at all if you truly cannot bring yourself to do it.” Yuta nodded just as Jisung checked his pocket watch and stood up from his chair. 

“Prince Chenle, it would be wise to return to this conversation at a later time. You are needed at the training grounds in half of an hour.” Jisung urged, and after a short moment of Chenle staying put on Sicheng and Yuta’s laps, the youngest prince pushed himself up from the bed with a large frown decorating his face. 

“Alright, alright. Would it be possible for you to come retrieve me from my training when Neo arrives? Or perhaps, will they stay for longer than simply today?” Chenle asked just before he was nudged to the door by Jisung’s shoulder. The prince still stayed put by the side of the bed however. 

“I’m not sure. I’m sure we can arrange something if you truly wish to meet them so badly. Enjoy your training, your highness.” Yuta waved at Chenle. After planting a sloppy kiss on Sicheng’s cheek, Chenle bounded out of the room with Jisung following after giving Sicheng and Yuta a bow. 

“You know, you do not need to address me and my brothers by ‘your highness’. A prince consort can simply just use our given names.” Sicheng said as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed to get up. 

“I’m aware, but it just doesn’t feel right. After all, regardless of this ‘prince consort’ business, I am still barely a noble, and we both know that I did not make this deal for the sake of a status boost.” Yuta slipped out of bed as well, and paused for a moment before continuing as he noticed the clothes that had been set on the nightstand on his side of the bed. 

“Unless it makes you uncomfortable if I use your title. If that's the case, or if for any reason you actually want me to not use honorifics, then just tell me. I will stop using them if you explicitly tell me that you want me to.”

Sicheng could not help but let a small smile creep onto his face at Yuta’s bumbling. “If you say that it does not feel right, then I am alright with you continuing with the honorifics. I just do not wish for you to feel pressured into addressing us so formally.” 

“That’s okay, your highness. Since we have just met, I would feel a bit awkward if I were to call you by name only, despite our… relationship status.” Yuta laughed to himself at the last part of his sentence, as if it were so absurd to speak about that he could not keep a straight face. Sicheng understood the feeling, and let out a small chuckle of his own, although he doubted that Yuta could hear it from across the room with how quiet it had been. 

“Ah, yes, our relationship is quite a bit complicated, is it not?” With that reminder, all of Sicheng’s misgivings about Yuta’s actions returned to the front of his mind. As a prince who looked at the greater good of the kingdom, Neo was justified in their intentions, although the ends did not justify the means in the least. But at least, while looking at the general state of the kingdom, Sicheng could be a smidge more lenient than he usually would be. 

No, it was for more personal reasons that annoyance bubbled in Sicheng’s mind. He was aware that as a prince, he should not be as petty as he was about to be, but he had made his closest friends by being this way. With the addition of the fact that Yuta truly seemed to not mind any callouts of his behavior, Sicheng thought that he could point this out. 

He _could_ call it out, but honestly, making their relationship even more awkward than it was at present was one of the last things that Sicheng wanted to do, so he pressed his lips together as he tried to think of another topic to keep the conversation going. 

“What happened to the member of Neo that was tasked with bringing me and Guanheng out of the manor?” Sicheng asked while buttoning his shirt up. It seemed an innocent enough question. 

“Oh, that. The member that you had been with that night told our ‘leader’,” Yuta made air-quotes with his fingers in the corner of Sicheng’s eye. “about what you had been talking about, and he realized that it was something beyond our control. So, he gave him a pass for this mission. If you’re still upset — which is completely reasonable — I can have another talk with him and see if I can do anything in terms of repercussions.”

Sicheng shook his head and finally turned around to face Yuta. “No, I understand that he was at no fault. I would never push for anything further than what your leader has determined. I know not of who he is, but I trust his judgement. Although, that reminds me. I thought you had no leader?”

“No official leader, but there is a man that we all trust with our lives and who has brought us out of every problem we face. He is the reason that we have never had any casualties.” ‘Aside from your friend’ were the words that Yuta left unspoken, but they still hung heavy in the air, settling down on the pair like a weighted blanket. 

“I am sure that he is a very suitable leader. Why is it that he is only unofficial, if he is as skilled in leadership as you say?” Sicheng felt his head tilt to the side out of curiosity. 

“Well, he never wanted the pressure of being regarded as the leader by the public, despite the fact that no one would ever recognize him. He’s also the type to wish to include everyone’s opinion in a decision, and he thought that if he was considered our actual leader, then we would not voice our opinions as freely. And soon after we began our mission, people began referring to _me_ as the ‘Evil King’, and if we announced that it was someone else that was our leader, it would create even more confusion.” Yuta’s lips drew into a line and his eyebrows furrowed, visibly displeased with his leader’s actions. “Although, privately, all of Neo calls him our leader, but in public, he wishes to be acknowledged as just another member.”

That confused Sicheng a bit, but he supposed that it was none of his business. It was not as if it mattered any longer. Neo was to disband in a few hours, after all. Their inner hierarchy was of no more importance. 

“I cannot wait to meet him. He seems like an extremely compassionate and considerate person.” Sicheng said as he finished tucking his shirt in, pulling on an overcoat and cinched the cloth around his waist with a belt. 

“He really is. He is the most deserving person of the leader title to ever live, regardless of whether he wants to take it or not.” Yuta’s eyes were in a faraway place while saying that, and Sicheng was even more intrigued as to what type of person Neo’s leader was. 

But as of right now, Sicheng only wished to know more about Yuta. He could easily learn more about who this leader was at a later time. At the moment, however, he would at least like to know more about the man that he was sharing a bed with. 

“Did it bother you, when you were called the leader instead of the actual leader? It seems like you care deeply for him.” Sicheng asked, making Yuta click his tongue with the same displeased look as before. 

“It did not bother me much, as he never wished to be in the public eye in the first place. But truthfully, I was a little upset that he was not receiving the recognition that he deserves for all the work he does for everyone.” Yuta bit his lip, and Sicheng wondered what made him react like that, and then he wiped the thought from his mind. It was as if there was a devil in the back of his mind that chanted Renjun’s name as if its life depended on it.

Renjun, who was Sicheng’s little brother in every way except for blood, who had contributed to the castle so much that even now, no one could replace him, whose smile and dry sense of humor had brought light to even the darkest of days. It was almost infuriating, having one of the causes for his death be right in front of him and yet, Sicheng was powerless to do anything. 

It frightened him to see how Yuta was able to carry on as if nothing was wrong.

⚘

Sicheng met Taeyong first. He was as skinny as a twig, but Sicheng knew that there had to be an incredible amount of strength behind those hollowed cheekbones. Sicheng could tell who Taeyong’s right hand man was simply by the amount of trust that was held in his eyes. A tall man named Johnny. Sicheng was certain that he had met Johnny before, even more so once he had heard his family name. Seo. He was a member of the Xu clan, and even though he had been part of the much lower ranking Seo family, Sicheng had had numerous meetings with even them. He simply could not remember for sure. 

The one person that he did remember meeting before was Jaehyun. Jaehyun had been a respected son of the Jung family, expected to do great things in the future. But that had all changed suddenly when he disappeared overnight, and the Jung family erased him from all of their familial records. Sicheng had never had a chance to say farewell to the boy who had kept him company on days upon which he had nobody to converse with, and the surprise was visible in Jaehyun’s eyes before he launched himself onto the prince with open arms. Guanheng had needed to restrain himself from calling the guards on instinct. 

Sicheng’s second biggest shock after meeting the oldest six members of Neo, aside from Yuta, was from learning that Taeil of the Moon family was within their numbers. It was no wonder that his eyes had looked so familiar during the wedding banquet. It was because Sicheng had, in fact, seen them the night of the fire. 

While Johnny, Jaehyun, and Taeil had come from backgrounds that were known to Sicheng, Jungwoo, Doyoung and Taeyong were unknown to Sicheng. The Kim clan was a large one, one even larger than the Jung clan and rivalling that of the Li clan. It made sense that Sicheng had never heard of any of them before, as their clan members were spread out all throughout Ejulia. Yuta assured Sicheng that they would have time to get to know each other in the future, and Sicheng, although not completely trusting of Yuta quite yet, decided to continue talking to Taeyong about the logistics of Neo’s assimilation into the chief authorities of Ejulia. 

The younger half of Neo would come in less than an hour, Taeyong had told the Royal Ejulian alliance. So they waited. Their ages ranged from eighteen to seventeen, which was an incredibly small range for an entire half of Neo’s ages to be located in. How could teenagers just barely older than Chenle already devote their entire lives to fighting injustice? Why did they feel the need to? Their kingdom was not perfect — no kingdom was — but Sicheng had not thought that it was horrible to the point that boys not even past eighteen found it necessary to do what was expected of law enforcement. Had the nobility failed that horribly at creating a safe environment for their citizens?

Guanheng, senses attuned to Sicheng’s every movement and breath, was easily able to realize that Sicheng was dissatisfied with the way that their kingdom was, and through a soft pat on the shoulder, he relieved some of Sicheng’s worries for the moment.

Kun and Taeyong had come to the conclusion that Neo would create a new subdivision of Ejulia’s authorities when Heejin knocked on the doorway, a group of boys behind her that Sicheng knew was the rest of Neo. While Kun and Dejun made sure that the new arrivals were comfortable and taken care of, Sicheng observed Taeyong and Doyoung as they met eyes, confused and worried. They requested permission to be excused quickly after, which Kun granted them. Sicheng thought it a bit odd that Taeyong did not take Johnny, but he did not question anything. He knew nothing of their relationships. 

Of the younger half of Neo, Sicheng knew not a single one. Mark, Jeno, and Donghyuck were all from the Lee clan, but he had never heard of them. The Na family was obscure, too obscure for Sicheng to know anything about, especially of a Jaemin among them. Shotaro was from a slightly more recognizable family, being from the Osaki family of the Xu clan, and therefore one of Johnny’s clansmen, but Shotaro’s family was as unknown to Sicheng as Jaemin’s. Taeil had told the Royal Ejulian alliance that there was another member on his way, who had been the reason that Taeyong and Doyoung had excused themselves. Sicheng bit his lip and hoped that this other member was a bit more prestigious than the rest, so that he may know at least a little bit about his family.

Sicheng learned from Jaehyun that he had been ejected from the family tree for attempting to expose the crimes of one of his family members. Sungchan had taken a guess as to who it was, and gotten it correct on the first try. “Jung Joonyoung.” But of course it would be. Regardless of whatever crimes Joonyoung had committed, it mattered not in the eyes of the Jung clan. Anyone who tried to take the lord down would only destroy themselves. Dejun commended Jaehyun on his bravery, which earned him a dimpled smile from Sicheng’s childhood friend. 

Johnny, who had assumed what seemed like temporary leader status as Taeyong was gone, explained to Kun, Sicheng, Guanheng, Dejun, Xuxi, Ten, Yangyang, Sungchan, Chenle, and Jisung the way that Neo organized themselves. Yuta had briefly touched on it during the wedding reception, but Sicheng might have been too busy trying to remember where he had heard Yuta’s voice before to focus on what his husband had been saying. 

After he explained the three separate teams and how they scrambled for each mission, Johnny had just begun telling the Royal Ejulian alliance about all the members’ backgrounds before there was another knock. The only one who ever dared to interrupt a meeting was Heejin, so naturally, the door was opened for her, as well as Taeyong and Doyoung, and another person behind the pair. Sicheng could not see the last member’s face properly, thanks to the way that he cowered behind the older two, and he could not wait until he learned the last member’s identity. 

Until Taeyong and Doyoung stepped to the side to reveal the last member to the rest of the room, and Sicheng’s heart jumped into his throat before plummeting back into his stomach. At his side, Guanheng swayed on his feet, although his face remained unchanged. Xuxi would have the strongest reaction, Sicheng thought, but Chenle was dashing to the doorway before Jisung or anyone else could react, burying his face in Renjun’s shoulder as he stared at the rest of the room with a guilty grimace. 

⚘

Chenle had been attached to Renjun’s arm throughout the entire morning. Sicheng understood why. If not for the fact that he needed to be formal in front of their guests, then he would do the same. Taeyong explained to them a little bit about Renjun’s situation, but only that he had been caught by Jeno and Jaemin while investigating their home base. The rest, he had told while looking Yangyang straight in the eye, they would have to find out from Renjun himself, and the boy in question squirmed under the stares of the entire room, bar Chenle, too occupied with burying his face in Renjun’s shoulder and pressing every inch of his body on the older boy’s, as if he were trying to make sure that Renjun was real. 

Taeyong offered to give the Royal Ejulian alliance information about Neo’s backgrounds and why they had chosen to join Neo, information that even Seunghee, the record-keeper, could not find, but only in exchange for full access to the information of the members of the King’s court. After much deliberation, Kun agreed, and he signalled for Gowon, the messenger, to relay to Seunghee that Neo would be allowed to access all of the King’s Court’s members’ files. She bowed to the stand-in king before leaving the room. 

But for now, everyone had agreed unanimously, they would disperse so that the royals could reunite with Renjun, who had been lost to them for so long. Who had been thought dead, who had been mourned ever since that day two years ago, when he had disappeared without a trace. 

When the attendants and guards showed Neo to their rooms for the time being, the rest immediately turned to Renjun in unison, the other boy squirming underneath their stares. 

“So,” Yangyang started, as no one else had the courage to speak. 

Renjun looked up at the only other boy his age. “So,” He repeated, causing Yangyang to frown, the corners of his lips pushing deep into his cheeks. 

“What happened?” Kun asked. “I am sure that we would all like to know what caused you to cut communication with us and make us think that you had died two years ago.” Murmurs of agreement arose throughout the courtroom. 

Something seemed to set itself in place inside of Renjun, something that would let him tell the rest what had happened. Before he spoke, however, he cast wary glances at the guards around the room, and Kun understood quickly, waving his hand with a “leave us”. After the guards left, only Kun, Ten, Sicheng, Xuxi, Guanheng, Dejun, Chenle, Jisung, Yangyang, and Sungchan remained aside from Renjun, who finally opened his mouth. 

“First, I would like to apologize.” Apologies first, explanation afterwards. Sicheng was glad that Renjun had seemed to retain some of his knowledge of noble speech patterns. 

“Second, I would like to explain everything, from my point of view, from the very beginning, if your highness would allow it.” He threw a questioning look at Kun, and after he received a nod from the temporary king, he continued. “Four months before I disappeared during the fire on the Park estate, Lord Wen Junhui approached me. He told me that he wished for me to do an investigation on a group of rebels that had recently been causing much trouble throughout Ejulia. I agreed, and began researching everything. During those four months, I found a tip about Neo’s whereabouts, where their base of operations was.”

Kun raised an eyebrow, and that was enough for Renjun to stop talking, despite the first prince not actually having made any noise. “Who would your source be?”

“If your highness would permit it, I would prefer to keep my source anonymous, for fear of their safety.” 

“Permission granted. My apologies, please continue.”

Renjun cleared his throat as discreetly as possible before continuing. “Right. I went to inspect their base personally, as this investigation was meant to be confidential, and when I found the exact spot, I was caught by, as Taeyong said, Jeno and Jaemin. They questioned me, and after realizing that I was to report all my findings to Lord Junhui, they held me in their sorry excuse for a prison.”

“Is that why, in the November before the fire, you did not come home for two days?” Guanheng asked with concern and realization covering his features, to which Renjun nodded. 

“I wanted to tell you all, but I found out that I was quite fond of their... mission. They wished to eradicate the evil from the nobility, the people who make decisions for the poor and working classes. Because of that, I agreed to not tell anyone about what I had found, and in turn, Taeyong released me. In the months that followed, I continued to give Neo information about who I suspected to be one of the villains that they were trying to punish, and they conducted their investigation and carried out the verdict.” 

“And? If you were doing well as an inside man, why did you find the need to fake your death?” There was a hint of bitterness in Sicheng’s voice that he did not expect to be there, and as soon as he saw Renjun’s eyebrows furrow, he regretted it. 

“At the beginning of that January, I found out that someone had been spying on me, watching my every action. When I told Taeyong of this, he spared no effort in catching the spy and making them tell us why they were doing what they were. They told us that they had been hired by Lord Jeonghan, because he knew that I had been reporting false information to Lord Junhui. How he knew, I have no idea, but he did. At that point, Taeyong and Doyoung made the decision to withdraw me from my position in the castle, regardless of how much I protested.” Renjun brought his gaze to the floor, in an effort to evade any eye contact that he may have made with anyone else. 

No judgement or anger was present when Xuxi asked, “Do you know why they did so? Because of the spy?”

Renjun bit his lip, and to Sicheng, it appeared as if he was having an internal argument as to whether he should continue speaking or not. One side came out victorious, although the decisions that that side came with were not known to Sicheng. 

“There was a reason, but Taeyong and Doyoung neglected to tell me. They only said that it would be easier for Neo if I were with them, instead of inside the palace.” That seemed incredibly selfish to Sicheng, because regardless of what Renjun had promised Neo, he was a Huang, first and foremost. Taeyong did not have the authority to force Renjun to leave behind his life. Neo did not have the authority to uproot the entire castle because of their selfish wish, especially when they had not even told Renjun _why_ they made the decision they did. It almost felt like they did not make a single good decision, only doing what felt convenient to them instead of thinking about the consequences of their actions. 

“It doesn’t matter what the reason was for your leaving, as long as you’re back now, right?” Yangyang had long since moved from his assigned seat along the walls of the room, now leaning against Renjun’s shoulder while Chenle made his home on Renjun’s other one. Holding out his hand for Yangyang to place his own into, Renjun’s smile was nothing but gentle.

⚘

Sicheng did not let Renjun out of his sight until the younger boy could not physically stay awake any longer, which occurred at some time far past midnight. But although he had thought that Yuta would be asleep by the time that he returned to the bedroom, he was proven wrong by the candles keeping the room lit up as Yuta stared at the papers on the bed as if they had done him a personal wrong. 

“Is everything alright?” Sicheng asked, stripping his jacket and hanging it on his chair before taking a seat next to Yuta. He did not dare look at the papers, in case they were documents for Neo or records of the members of the King’s Court. “I did not expect you to be awake at this hour.”

“Everything’s fine. I’m just reading over some reports that Taeyong gave me. I never thought that it would take me so long, but here I am.” Yuta chuckled quietly, flipping over the page that he was currently reading. 

“Do you need to do it tonight?” Sicheng brought his legs underneath the comforter and leaned back on the headboard, which caused Yuta to stare at him, eyes wide in alarm.

“I’m sorry, is it annoying? I do actually need it done before I see him next, so if you can’t sleep because of me, then I can move to the library. Just say the word and I can be out of your sight.” Yuta said as he began gathering the sheets of papers, readying to leave, but Sicheng shook his head and started to settle into the sheets. 

“No, you are fine. I was just concerned for your sleep. It _is_ less than two hours until sunrise, I would not advise staying up too late.” Sicheng knew how tiring staying up all night could be, and surely Yuta knew it as well. Regardless, it never hurt to remind him of the consequences that would come with not sleeping. 

Yuta’s smile as he looked down at Sicheng was more bright than the sun, and although Sicheng found it to be a little bit annoying to see such a blinding thing in the middle of the night, he would not deny that it was charming. Yuta himself was charming, if Sicheng looked past his affiliation with Neo. 

“Well, I apologize in advance if you find yourself unable to rest because of me. Just tell me if you want me gone.” Sicheng huffed lightheartedly before finally letting his head hit the pillows. The day had been exhausting, despite the fact that he had barely interacted with Neo, instead being with Renjun the entire day.

“I’ll make sure to do that.” 

Sicheng did not actually end up falling asleep very quickly, and as soon as the silence became suffocating, he turned to face Yuta, who noticed the movement and watched the prince with curious eyes. 

“Your highness?”

“Did you not know that Renjun was alive?” Sicheng asked, the thought having been a nuisance to him all day. He doubted that Yuta knew, because if he had known, then he would have told Sicheng that Renjun was with Neo. He did not trust any member of Neo with much, but he did trust that Yuta would have told him. 

Yuta smiled again, this time more regretfully. “Unfortunately, I was just as clueless as you. I had my suspicions, yes, but I can assure you that I knew nothing of Renjun’s status. If I had, then I would have told you, you have my word.” 

Sicheng accepted that, laying on his back with his hands folded across his stomach. “So Taeyong kept everyone aside from Doyoung in the dark?” There was the sound of a paper fluttering and then a few moments of silence before Yuta replied. 

“It would seem so.” Yuta’s tone was pitiful. Sicheng might have even said that he sounded betrayed, and he did not blame Yuta for feeling that way. It would be painful to have your leader to keep such an important piece of information from you. In the case that Yuta had known about Renjun’s death being faked, Sicheng would have asked if he knew why Taeyong had made the decision to pull Renjun back, but it seemed that it would be fruitless to do so.

Sicheng did not say anything after that, not knowing where to steer the conversation, as well as wanting Yuta to be able to focus on reading his reports. The sun would rise soon, and even if it was but a few minutes, Sicheng wished for Yuta to be able to rest as much as possible. He thought it odd that it was taking Yuta so long to read the files, but he would not question it. Yangyang had been surprised that Neo even had literacy skills. 

Before Sicheng could drift into unconsciousness, he heard the door open. He heard Yuta’s cooing voice welcome Bluebell, and he might have heard the sound of hooves hitting the tile as well, but his mind was too clouded with sleep to be able to hear clearly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omfg it took me 2 months to finish this one chapter... i'm so sorry that it took me so long T_T

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! if you liked this, please leave a kudo and comment, it would really make my day~
> 
> twt : [aestia5](https://twitter.com/aestia5)


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